Ozarks’ Women’s Basketball
Team Splits Games On Road
UofO Sports Information
University of the Ozarks’ senior guard April Young hit four
three-pointers and scored 20 points to lead Ozarks to a 69-58 win over
Centenary College Saturday.
With the win, the Lady Eagles (9-10, 6-9 ASC) remain in the thick of
the playoff race. With a 6-9 conference mark, Ozarks is in fifth place
and will now host four of their final six games. The top four teams
qualify for the playoffs.
Against Centenary College (7-13), Sabrina Goddard paced Ozarks with 10
first half points to help the Lady Eagles go into halftime with a 35-25
lead. Ozarks raced out to a 12-4 advantage behind Goddard’s shot at the
16:14 mark. The Lady Eagles maintained a nine-point lead after Young’s
layup with 11:47 left.
Centenary College made a run to trim the deficit to 21-18 with 6:38
remaining, but Ozarks responded with a 7-0 run.
Ozarks opened the second half as strong as it did the first half with a
pair of inside shots from Goddard and another from Young. Centenary got
within 45-40 with 11:56 left in the game before Young scored five
straight points to put Ozarks back in control. Her shot from long range
with 5:07 to go put Ozarks ahead 64-42.
Young went four-of-six from the three-point line. Goddard posted a
double-double with 16 points and 16 rebounds. The contest did not count
as an American Southwest Conference game.
East Texas Baptist
A clutch three-pointer by East Texas Baptist senior Enid Sanchez with
just two seconds left lifted the Lady Tigers past Ozarks 55-54 in a
down to the wire ASC game Jan. 26.
Ozarks overcame a sluggish first half and appeared to have the game in
its possession after April Young scored with eight seconds remaining to
put the Lady Eagles ahead 54-52. But Sanchez had other ideas as she
scored five points in less than 15 seconds for East Texas Baptist
(6-13, 4-10 ASC).
The Lady Eagles shot an uncharacteristic one-of-17 (five percent) from
the three-point line in the first half, but still only trailed by seven
points at intermission.
Lacey Phillips had a strong second half as she scored 13 points and
grabbed six rebounds. Her three-pointer at the 15:23 mark of the second
half pulled Ozarks within 32-27. That sparked the Lady Eagles on a 12-4
run over a seven minute stretch.
Ozarks then took the lead 38-36 with 8:04 remaining and Phillips
converted a three-point play on Ozarks next possession to increase its
advantage. Another three-pointer by Phillips with 1:51 left tied the
contest 50-50 and Goddard sank two free throws with 38 seconds left
before Sanchez scored back-to-back baskets.
Phillips led Ozarks with 18 points. Goddard posted a double-double with
17 points and 10 rebounds.
Ozarks will host East Texas Baptist University Feb. 2 and Centenary
College Feb. 4.