The Braves earned their second straight win, their third in their last four games, with a 72-54 victory over Avila University in Mabee Fieldhouse on Wednesday evening. Ottawa shot 43.6 percent from the floor, 27.8 percent from behind the 3-pt line, and 79.2 percent from the free throw line. OU had three players in double figures, led by
Nora Ford's 15 points.
Katelyn Alatini scored 14 points and
Abbie Sextro finished the game with 13 points. Sextro led OU with seven assists and seven rebounds. She also had two blocks and one steal.
Tiyani Rollins finished the game with four steals.
This season Ottawa is averaging 72.9 points, 36.8 rebounds, and 12.3 assists per game. OU is shooting 38 percent from the floor, 30.3 percent from behind the 3-pt line and 72.8 percent from the free throw line.
Nora Ford leads the Braves in scoring (13.0),
Abbie Sextro is OU's leader in rebounding (6.4),
Janiyah Hendricks leads Ottawa in assists (2.7), Sextro is the team's leader in blocks (0.7), and Ford is OU's leader in steals (2.2) per game.
Ottawa is ranked 46th in the NAIA in points (1,676), 48th in 3-pt field goals made per game (7.5), 41st in 3-pt field goals attempted per game (24.7), seventh in free throws made per game (16.5), 16th in free throws attempted per game (22.7), 27th in opponent steals per game (6.7), and 25th in opponent personal fouls per game (19.2).
Ottawa is 4-6 on the road this season and has a record of 3-5 in road KCAC games. OU's road victory over Avila on Wednesday night snapped OU's six game road losing streak and was the Braves first road victory since December 4, 2024 at Southwestern (84-78 2OT). OU is averaging 70.8 points, shooting 37.7 percent from the floor, and 31.5 percent from behind the 3-pt line on the road this season. Opponents are scoring 74.3 points per game shooting 40.2 percent from the floor, and 34 percent from behind the 3-pt line.
On the road this season, OU has three players averaging in double figures.
Nora Ford is averaging 13 points per game,
Abbie Sextro is scoring 11.6 points per game, and
Dominique Schutte is scoring 11 points per game.
In
Katelyn Alatini's last three games, she is averaging 14 points per game. She is shooting 46.2 percent from the floor and 50 percent from behind the 3-pt line. Prior to those last three games for Alatini, she was scoring 5.3 points per game, shooting 28.1 percent from the floor, and 23.7 percent from behind the 3-pt line. She only made nine 3-pt field goals in her previous 18 games. In her last three games she has made seven 3-pt field goals.
Saturday is the 99th meeting between Ottawa University and Friends University. The Falcons are on a four game winning streak against the Braves. OU's last win against Friends was on Feb. 1, 2023 in Wilson Field House. Ottawa won the game 60-45. The Braves have lost 18 straight regular season games to Friends in the Garvey Center. OU's last regular season win over Friends in Wichita was on Jan. 25, 2007. The Falcons won the game 64-56. Ottawa has lost eight straight games, including playoffs, to the Falcons. The last time OU defeated Friends in Wichita was in the KCAC Tournament on Feb. 27, 2016. Ottawa won the game 71-63. The first even meeting between the two teams was on Feb. 10, 1909 in Wichita. Ottawa won the game 30-21. Friends won the first game this season, 88-78 in Wilson Field House on Jan. 4.
In OU's 88-78 loss to Friends on Jan. 4 in Wilson Field House, Ottawa shot 34.3 percent from the floor, 37 percent from behind the 3-pt line, and 76.9 percent from the free throw line. The Braves had three players in double figures, led by
Dominique Schutte's career high 31 points. She was 9-for-13 from the floor and 8-for-11 from behind the 3-pt line.
Abbie Sextro and
Nora Ford scored 14 points apiece Ford had five assists and eight steals.
Friends University has an overall record of 15-8, is in second place in the KCAC with a mark of 13-4, and has a record of 9-3 in the Garvey Center this season. The Falcons are 3-2 in their last five games and enter Saturday afternoon's game coming off a 63-54 win over Tabor in the Garvey Center on Feb. 5.
The Falcons are averaging 70.3 points, 45.3 rebounds, and 13.9 assists per game. They are shooting 42.3 percent from the floor, 26.6 percent from behind the 3-pt line, and 65 percent from the free throw line.
Friends is ranked sixth in the NAIA in defensive rebounds per game (32), 12th in total rebounds per game (45.3), 27th in rebound margin per game (7.3), 24th in blocks per game (4.0), 37th in personal fouls per game (14.9), and 16th in opponent field goal percentage (.346).
Lauryn McIver leads the Falcons in scoring (15.7), Taylor Jackson is Friends' leader in rebounding (12.4), McIver is the team's leader in assists (3.2), Jackson leads the team in blocks (2.3), and McIver leads Friends in steals (1.1) per game.
At home this season, Friends is scoring 71.8 points, shooting 41.8 percent from the floor, and 25.3 percent from behind the 3-pt line.
In their 15 wins, the Falcons are scoring 75.1 points per game, shooting 43.9 percent from the floor, and 27.8 percent from behind the 3-pt line. In their eight losses, Friends is scoring 61.3 points per game, shooting 39 percent from the floor, and 24.7 percent from behind the 3-pt line.
