Box Score
OTTAWA, Kan. - With a little more than one second left in the game, KiKi Smith connected from 50 feet out on a three, giving OU a one point victory over Bethany College, 76-74 on Saturday night in Wilson Field House. Bethany had just taken a one point lead on a field goal by Claire Cole when Smith received the pass and heaved the ball towards the goal. It hit nothing but net and OU earned a season sweep of Bethany.

The Lady Braves opened the game by taking an early 12-5 lead on the Swedes. Ottawa then went cold, giving the Swedes a chance to make up ground. Bethany outscored OU 11-4 during a six minute stretch and tied the game at16 all with 5:09 left to go in the first half. Taryn Morris broke the tie with a three and after field goals by Paige Gibson and Misty Stone OU had increased its lead to five points, 23-18. The two teams traded baskets and OU maintained its five point lead, 27-22 until the 2:13 mark in the first half. Bethany shut down the OU offense and didn’t allow the Lady Braves a single point during the final two minutes of the half. The Swedes scored 11 and took a 33-27 lead into the half. 

Bethany came out on fire to start the final half of play. The Swedes took a 17 point lead, 58-41at the 13:22 mark all thanks to a 25-14 run. The Lady Braves did not roll over and die, they clawed their way back and with 7:23 on the clock Ottawa was down by three, 63-60. Ottawa cut the lead to two a minute later when Stone went 1-for-2 at the free throw line. OU then received two straight three point field goals by Maggie Hasenkamp, giving the Lady Braves a four point lead, 67-63 with 5:44 remaining in regulation. The game stayed close and the Swedes took a one point lead, 72-71 on the Lady Braves with 2:43 on the clock thanks to a three point play by Rhys Pihl. Neither team scored for the next 2:48, that was until Stone rebounded her own miss with 12 seconds on the clock to give OU a one point lead, 73-72. Bethany’s Claire Cole scored in the post with just a little more than a second left on the clock giving BC back the lead, 73-74. KiKi Smith received the ball 50 feet away from the hoop, heaved it through the air and swished it through the basket as the buzzer sounded. This gave OU the two point victory, 76-74 and the season sweep of the Bethany College Swedes. 

Ottawa was 29-59 from the floor for 49.2 percent while Bethany was 30-56 for 53.6 percent. Both teams were 8-13 from the free throw line but OU made 10 three point field goals to Bethany’s six. 

The OU bench outscored Bethany 51-8 and the Lady Braves had a slight 20-19 edge in points off of turnovers. The Lady Braves had three players in double figures led by the bench. Emma Hartzler tallied 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the floor, Myah Sprew had a career high 14 points on 6-8 shooting and Hasenkamp scored 12 points on 4-8 from behind the three point line. Stone led OU in rebounding with 11 and she was one point away from a double-double as she scored nine points. 

Up next for the Lady Braves (5-19, 4-10) is a road trip to Winfield, Kan. to play Southwestern College on Thursday, Feb. 11th. Tip off in Stewart Field House is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.