Box Score
HILLSBORO, Kan. – The Lady Braves fell on the road to Tabor College, 59-52 on Thursday night at Tabor Gymnasium. 

The Lady Braves went scoreless in the first three minutes of the game and found themselves down 6-0 to the Tabor Bluejays. Ottawa scored its first points of the game on a three point bank shot by Paige Gibson with 14:42 left in the half. That sparked the OU offense with the Lady Braves reeling off the next seven points. OU took the lead for the first time in the game, 10-8 on two free throws by Myah Sprew. After Tabor tied the game the game at 10 all with 13:01 on the clock on two free throws a coolness came over Tabor Gymnasium. OU’s defense held the Lady Bluejays scoreless and when the clock hit 7:30 OU had an eight point lead, 18-10. Tabor woke out of its slump and answered by scoring the next 14 points and with 36 seconds remaining in the half the Bluejays had their second lead of the game, 24-18. Ottawa went on a slump itself and didn’t score a point for seven minutes. KiKi Smith’s basket with 36 seconds in the half was OU’s first points and field goal since the 7:43 mark and Tabor had a 24-20 lead at the half. 

Ottawa opened the second half by scoring the first six points. OU took its first lead since the 4:14 mark in the first half on a field goal by Misty Stone and was up by two, 26-24 at the 17:14 mark. Tabor tied the game on its first field goal of the half but OU retook it on a free throw by Stone. Ottawa scored again on its next offensive possession on a Gibson three point field goal, taking a four point lead, 30-26 with 15:43 remaining in regulation. The Lady Braves maintained its lead and on the 12:31 mark OU had a seven point lead, 37-30. After two Smith free throws giving OU a nine point lead, 39-30, Tabor scored the next four points and cut OU’s lead to five, 39-34. Smith scored on an inbounds play to give OU a 41-34 lead with 11:13 left. Tabor responded again and scored the next nine points, taking a two point lead 43-41. Ottawa stayed close to Tabor and with 1:44 on the clock, OU found itself down by six, 56-50. Smith scored a field goal on a driving layup at the 1:10 mark to cut TC’s lead to four, 56-52. The Lady Braves were not able to get closer in the Lady Bluejays in the final minutes of the contest and fell to TC, 59-52.
OU was led in scoring by Stone with 15 points on 5-10 shooting. Gibson was the other Lady Brave in double figures, she had 10. 

Up next for OU (4-19, 3-10) is a home game on Saturday, Feb. 6 versus Bethany College. Game time is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.