The Braves earned their third straight win on Wednesday night with a 68-51 victory over York University in Wilson Field House. Ottawa shot 46.9 percent from the floor, 40 percent from behind the 3-pt line, and 76.2 percent from the free throw line. The Braves had four players in double figures led by
Hailey Henry and
Jayla Johnson. They finished with 15 points apiece.
Ahoneste Walker finished the game with 14 points and
Cierra Brown scored 11 points. Henry led OU with six rebounds and three assists. Brown and Henry finished with three steals apiece.
Ottawa is off to its best start, 4-2, since the 2016-17 season. That year the Braves finished with an overall record of 18-13 and a KCAC mark of 14-8. That season, 2016-17, is also the last time the Braves won their first game of conference play. Ottawa defeated Avila University 63-54 in Kansas City, Mo. The 2015-16 season was the last time OU won a KCAC game to start conference play in Wilson Field House. The Braves defeated Avila at home, 60-51.
Ottawa is led in scoring (14.8) and rebounding (12.8) by
Nicole Brown.
Ahoneste Walker is OU's leader in assists (2.2),
Nicole Brown leads the Braves in blocks (1.2) per game, and
Cierra Brown leads the team in steals (1.3) per game.
Through six games, The Braves are averaging 76 points, 46.5 rebounds and 13.2 assists per game. Ottawa is shooting 45.2 percent from the floor, 37.2 percent from behind the 3-pt line, and 78.6 percent from the free throw line.
OU is ranked 28th in the NAIA in total points (456), 40th in field goal percentage (.452), 49th in 3-pt field goals made per game (7.5), 26th in 3-pt field goal percentage (.372), sixth in free throw percentage, (.786), 10th in defensive rebounds per game (33.3), 22nd in total rebounds per game (46.5), 28th in rebound marking per game (10.3), 25th in personal fouls per game (13.8), and 23rd in opponent field goal percentage (.324).
Saturday's game between Ottawa University and Southwestern College is the 90th meeting. SWC leads the series, 55-33-1. Ottawa is 4-1 in its last five meeting against Southwestern. Both teams won on their home courts last season. The Braves took a 70-42 victory over the Moundbuilders in Wilson Field House on Jan. 10, 70-42. Southwestern won the game, 70-64, in Stewart Field House on Feb. 19.
The first meeting between the two teams took place on Feb. 8, 1909 in Winfield. The game ended in a 16-16 tie.
In the loss to the Moundbuilders on Feb. 19 in Stewart Field House, Ottawa shot 33.3 percent from the floor, .083 percent from behind the 3-pt line, and 58.1 percent from the free throw line. The Braves had three players in double figures led by Kennedy Bankett with 12 points. Liz Vaughn scored 11 points and Haley Franklin finished with 11 points. Vaughn and
Jordan Bianco led the Braves with four steals apiece.
Amyr Lowe led OU with eight rebounds.
Southwestern College is 3-4 overall and 0-1 in the KCAC. The Moundbuilders are on a three game losing streak with losses to Oklahoma City (74-49) on Nov. 11, Southwestern Assemblies of God (86-80) on Nov. 12, and Oklahoma Wesleyan to open KCAC play (66-58) on Nov. 16.
In the loss to OKWU on Wednesday night in Bartlesville, Okla., Southwestern shot 29.2 percent from the floor, 42.1 percent from behind the 3-pt line, and 70.6 percent from the free throw line. SWC sent OKWU to the free throw line 31 times. Macey Pond and Christy Wiebe finished the game with 23 points apeice. Wiebe led SWC in rebounding with nine.
Through seven games, Southwestern is averaging 62.9 points, 42.6 rebounds, and 9.7 assists per game. They are shooting 30.2 percent from the floor, 27.5 percent from behind the 3-pt line, and 59.1 percent from the free throw line.
SWC is ranked 27th in the NAIA in field goal attempts per game (68.6), 48th in 3-pt field goals made per agme (7.6), 14th in 3-pt field goals attempted per game (27.6), and 29th in free throws attempted per game (23.4).
Christy Wiebe leads Southwestern in scoring (15.3), D'Shonda Hunt is the team's leader in rebounding (9), Macey Pond is SWC's leader in assists (2.4) per game, Madi Jones leads the team in blocks (0.7), and Pond leads the Moundbuilders in steals (2.6) per game.
