Lady Eagles secure win against Rogers State

The Eagles’ Nest erupted when Sydney Hill sank a 3-pointer in the final minutes of the game against Rogers State University on Thursday.

The Oklahoma Christian University women’s basketball team secured a 73-67 win against the Hillcats. According to Assistant Coach Lisa Zamroz, the energy in the second half was enough to make up for an inadequate first half.

“The lights turned on in the last five minutes,” Zamroz said. “Luckily we pulled it out. But I think the whole first half was just really slow. We were just going through the motions.”

Hill contributed 22 points, four assists and three steals, while McKenzie Stanford put 21 points on the board with eight rebounds, two assists and a steal.

According to Skyler Newberry, Hill and Stanford were key players for the Lady Eagles.

“Sydney did really well and I think she made stuff happen,” Newberry said. “And of course McKenzie did great. She always does [well] on the boards and puts shots up.”

According to Zamroz, Mackenzie Brown contributed exceptionally for the Lady Eagles.

“Mackenzie came out of nowhere and hit a lot of jump shots that I think sealed it for us,” Zamroz said. “In the games that make a difference, besides our typical Sydney Hill and McKenzie Stanford, we always have that third person that steps up and hits shots and I think she [Brown] was big for us.”

Brown recorded 14 points and five rebounds, and Aisha Martin scored six points with five rebounds. Newberry and Jasmine Hinton both contributed five points, while Newberry grabbed five rebounds and Hinton added four assists.

With just over a minute remaining in the second half, the Lady Eagles had a tight 65-62 lead over the Hillcats. An assist from Hinton allowed Hill to sink the revitalizing 3-pointer helping Oklahoma Christian to hold the lead until the very end.

The Lady Eagles will face Arkansas-Fort Smith on Saturday for the final home game of the season.

According to Zamroz, the Lady Eagles plan to retort the previous loss at Fort Smith.

“We played pretty awful there,” Zamroz said. “We just didn’t really show up. [It’s] kind of a revenge game for us. Fort Smith is one of the hottest teams in the league, which would be a great win for us, and a great win for our seniors.”

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