By KEN IRVING
Student Reporter
The NWOSU Lady Rangers fell to SWOSU Lady Bulldogs 65-61 in the first round of the GAC tournament Friday evening.
Senior forward Faith Simpson led the Lady Rangers with 20 points and seven rebounds. Junior guards Carly Craig and Payton Jones each had 9 points.
The Lady Rangers traveled to Shawnee, Oklahoma to take on the SWOSU Lady Bulldogs in the first round of the Great American Conference tournament.
The game started slow as both teams struggled to find points.
Senior guard Josena Frame stole the ball away from a Lady Bulldog and finds Craig who knocked down the 3-pointer for the first points of the game.
Craig recovered the offensive rebound and put the ball back into the hoop. Next, she fired a 3-pointer for her 8th point of the quarter.
The Lady Rangers went on a 9-0 run to end the first quarter with an 18-10 lead.
The Lady Bulldogs went on a 7-0 run of their own to start the second quarter. Simpson finally scored the Lady Rangers first points of the quarter with a layup.
Jones finished the layup with a foul and made her free throw to complete the and-one.
Frame drilled a 3-pointer to give the Lady Rangers a 30-26 lead at the half. The Lady Rangers held onto the lead into the 3rd but the Lady Bulldogs took control after a 3-pointer.
Simpson took back the lead for the Lady Rangers after her and-1 layup.
The two teams battled going back and forth with the lead throughout the quarter.
Just before the quarter ended, Simpson made a layup to get back within one. The Lady Bulldogs added onto their one-point lead with four quick points, however turnovers forced by the lady Rangers and scoring by Freshman guard Summya Adigun tied the game up at 50 a piece.
The Lady Rangers took the lead after a score by Simpson.
The Lady Bulldogs knocked down shots to take a 2-possession lead.
The Lady Rangers would not go quietly as they tied the game at 58, however the Lady Bulldogs knocked down a three pointer and put a dagger into the lady Rangers season.
