Lady Eagles tie for third with last-second win

Kat Morris looking for an open teammate. — Senior Kaitlyn Morris looks for an open teammate in a home game from November 2014. *Photo by Roxi Gonzalez*

In the final seconds of Thursday’s game against St. Edward’s University, Kaitlyn Morris hit a shot to earn the Lady Eagles the win against the Lady Hilltoppers.

Skyler Newberry grabbed a steal that helped Morris draw the foul for an opportunity to take the lead from the charity strike with five seconds remaining, giving Oklahoma Christian University a 58-56 lead.

The win advanced Oklahoma Christian to a three-way tie for third with St. Mary’s and St. Edward’s in the league’s standings. According to Head Coach Stephanie Findley, the road keeps getting smoother for the Lady Eagles.

“The effort of our team the last few games has been outstanding and it gets better each time,” Findley said. “Tonight was the best yet and we hit shots to go with the effort. I’m so happy for Kat to be in that situation and come through after six years.”

Oklahoma Christian started the season 0-4 and has improved with eight wins in the past 11 games. According to Assistant Coach Larry Truesdell, the Lady Eagles have stayed strong in their attempt to turn their season around.

“We were 3-9 at one point and we could have turned belly-up and gotten beat every game,” Truesdell said. “We got on a streak and got our record. We can’t quit until the game is over.”

McKenzie Stanford led the Lady Eagles with 17 points and five rebounds, while Sydney Hill also had five rebounds and added 10 points. Daisha Gonzaque clutched eight rebounds for the Lady Eagles.

Newberry tied it up with an inside jump-shot for Oklahoma Christian with 47 seconds remaining. The tie was stagnant until Newberry stole the ball with five seconds remaining and the foul was called on St. Edward’s. Morris went to the line and made her shots for an Oklahoma Christian win.

“She [Morris] has brought so much leadership to this team the past two years,” Stanford said. “I am very lucky to play with her.”

Last December, the Lady Hilltoppers beat Oklahoma Christian by 22 points. According to Logan McKee, a key player that is out due to an injury from game six, the Lady Eagles redeemed themselves of the loss.

“We really wanted revenge on them and we got it,” McKee said. “I’m so proud of them.”

This road win gave the Lady Eagles a 12-13 record. According to Stanford, the Lady Eagles are prepared for their final game of the season.

“Our focus is to come out, execute, follow the game plan and win,” Stanford said.

The Lady Eagles will wrap up the season in Odessa, Texas as they face the University of Texas-Permian Basin on Saturday.