by he USAO women’s basketball team stirred to life with a strong second half for a 60-52 victory over Rocky Mountain College in the first round of the NAIA Division I Tournament.
The Drovers, now 29-5, will face top-seed Freed Hardemen (TN) in Friday’s second round at 1:30 CDT.
USAO, under third-year coach Darrick Matthews, was making only its third-ever appearance in the NAIA National Tournament and its first since 2008. USAO’s tournament win was the Drovers first since the 2003 team advanced to the semifinals.
Darian Hill (SR/Harrah, OK) and Shaylynn Bass (SR/Atoka, OK) each scored 12 points to lead USAO and helped spark a third quarter in which the Drovers erased a 25-18 halftime deficit.
USAO got its first lead in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter when Bass hit a short inside shot to put the Drovers ahead 43-41 with 7:27 to play. Vivian Holcomb (JR/Indianapolis, IN) and Hill each followed with baskets as the Bears still kept chase.
USAO made its last eight free throws with under a minute to play to secure the win.
The Drovers finished the game making 20-of-53 shot for 37 percent and were four-of-nine from three-point distance. USAO ended converting 16-of-23 free throws while Rocky Mountain made only nine of their 14 attempts.
