Lady Eagles triumph over McMurry, fall short on the road

Photo by: Will Gentry

 

The Lady Eagles traveled to Abilene, Texas, defeating McMurry University to gain their sixth consecutive conference victory and their fourth consecutive win over the War Hawks.

“Our biggest challenge was to stay focused,” sophomore Sydney Hill said. “We had to be careful not to overlook McMurry just because their record was not as good as some of the other teams we recently faced.”

Defense was the Lady Eagles’ strength last Thursday. Oklahoma Christian University kept the War Hawks’ lead scorer Keisha Collins to a five-point game, 12 points below her average, to clinch the victory 54-43.

“The defense kept us in the game Thursday,” Women’s Basketball Head Coach Stephanie Findley said. “The defense followed the game plan and kept Collins to five points when she averages 17 points. We had poor shooting, but the defense really made the difference.”

Findley said going on the road and losing the home court advantage can play a part in poor shooting over road games.

“When we are at home, we are more comfortable,” Findley said. “The travel just wears you out.”

The Lady Eagles came into the game off of a five-game winning streak over strong defensive teams.

“We stopped two top-ranked teams with our defense,” Hill said. “It definitely gave us a confidence boost going into Thursday’s game.”

The defense’s success is proved in the numbers. The Lady Eagles kept McMurry to 43 points – the fewest points allowed this season.

Senior Krista Stevens came away with 10 points, tying for the lead with Hill. Senior Roz Hamilton led the squad in rebounds with 12, as Stevens trailed her with a total of eight rebounds for the game.

Stevens and Hamilton supported the team with their rebounds during crucial moments of the game, according to Findley.

“[Stevens and Hamilton’s] leadership has been priceless and invaluable,” Findley said. “We needed their energy, enthusiasm and intensity and they provided it. They took over during the game against McMurry. Their performance put the team on their back. We may not have been shooting well, but we can do other things like rebounding and defense, and they did those things when we needed it.”

Stevens and Hamilton built off the rebounds for offensive play to overcome pressure from McMurry.

“A road game is much harder than playing at home,” Stevens said. “I just wanted to keep my team focused. Games are all about momentum and how to stop or continue it in your favor. I knew they would go on a run of scoring but I just tried to help keep our team ready and their heads up. McMurry is very good at rebounding, so we had to focus on getting our rebounds and continuing to push the ball. The defense will turn into offense at that point, because that momentum will translate on the offensive end.”

The Lady Eagles shot 32.2 percent, while McMurry only made 21 percent of their shots. Oklahoma Christian finished the game with 20 offensive rebounds, responsible for 11 of the first 13 points the Lady Eagles scored in the first half.

“[Stevens and Hamilton] did really well with rebounds, driving to the basket in the line, even getting fouled and knocking down their free throws,” sophomore Jasmine Hinton said. “Their energy brought up the team and helped us to calm down. We started playing smart and looking for passes rather than making mistakes and throwing away the ball.”

The Lady Eagles finished the first half with a 27-24 lead.

McMurry came within two points of closing the gap with 10:24 remaining on the clock, but the Lady Eagles defense came through and held the War Hawks to one more field goal for the remainder of the game. The Lady Eagles executed a 10-2 scoring run and widened the lead with 7:51 remaining to secure the victory.

The remainder of the Lady Eagles’ season will be in conference play.

“We want to take it one game at a time and just win,” Findley said. “We get better each game. Success on the road is only possible with consistency. We have to learn to shoot well on the road. The team is always looking for ways to improve and do our best.”

The Lady Eagles are working towards a win in the National Christian College Athletic Association Regional Tournament and eventually, to make it to the national tournament.

“We may have been a little out of sorts being back on the road in shooting, but as a team we always work hard,” Hill said. “We never give up and that is where our defense came into play. People should know that we are not slouches and we will always give 100 percent because Eagles fly together.”

The Lady Eagles fell to St. Edward’s University 78-72 last Saturday, and couldn’t pick up momentum against the University of Texas of the Permian Basin as well, coming just short at 64-49. The Lady Eagles face off against Lubbock Christian University tomorrow at 1.