Article by Cloey Kelly 

Photo by Jerry Montano 

McPherson, Kan. – The Central Christian College women's basketball team ended their Thursday with their first conference victory of the season! They faced the Oklahoma Panhandle State Aggies with a win, 57-53. 

The Tigers got off to a very strong start with a three-point shot from Kylee Jones right out the gate. The battle was strong in the first quarter with a whole two and a half minutes of neither team scoring. Denia Miler ends the first quarter with an amazing three point shot, assisted by Briasia Garza. 

The Aggies turn up the heat on the defense during the second quarter, tying the game up twice within the quarter. The Tigers lost their lead in the last thirty seconds of the quarter, but with halftime approaching, there's still plenty of the game left. 

After the break the Tigers and Aggies are tightly locked. Olivia Bell gains the lead back with her three-point bucket for the Tigers at the 7:25 mark, assisted by Amanda Dotter. The back-and-forth battle for the lead continues until the Aggies end the third quarter with a two-point lead. 

As soon as the fourth quarter begins the Tigers are beyond ready. They turn up on offense and defense, Kylee Jones reclaiming the lead for her team at the 8:02 mark… and the Tigers never let go of it. At the 6:45 mark Olivia Bell scores an amazing three-point shot, assisted by Shamaya Brown. Kylee Jones scored the final point for the Tigers and the game, rebounding the ball shortly after, and smiled big as the buzzer sounded throughout the gym, ending the game. Way to go Tigers! Awesome job girls! 

Key Statistic 

The Tigers generated 22 points off OPSU turnovers, and this would prove to be a difference maker. Stringing together multiple good possessions kept them in the game. 

By the Numbers 

For the game, the Tigers made 17 of 46 (37%) of their attempts from the floor.   

The Tigers hit 9 of 28 (32%) attempts from deep. 

From the charity stripe, they made 14 of 19 (74%). 

This was a messy game between the Tigers and the Aggies, with a combined total of 69 rebounds. The Tigers had 27 turnovers while the Aggies had 24. 

Tiger Leaders 

Points: Kylee Jones (25) 

Rebounds: Amanda Dotter (12)   

Assists: Amanda Dotter, Denia Miler(4) 

Steals: Briasia Garza (3) 

Blocks: Hallee Winsea, Denia Miler, Alexandria Craig (1) 

Coaches Quote 

"It wasn't pretty but we found a way to win. We made just enough plays and some free throws down the stretch to get it done. We did play extremely hard and I thought our defense did some good things at good times. Very happy for the ladies!" -Coach Brad Willems 

Next Up 

The Tigers, beaming after their first conference win of the year, welcome Wayland Baptist University to McPherson on Saturday, February 17th for Senior Night. The Tigers conclude their season next week with two games on the road at USAO and Texas Wesleyan.