**For
Immediate Release**
Lady Aggies Soar into League Championship Game
by Aggie Sports on 03/02/06
Goodwell, OK - In a stunning road upset, the Oklahoma
Panhandle State women’s basketball team defeated Montana
State University-Billings on Wednesday night, 80-71. The Yellowjackets
had a 12-1 home court record and led by as many as 15 points
in the first half, but the energy and determination of the
Lady Aggies took them to victory and into the Heartland Conference
title game which is set for Saturday.
Heart? . . . Guts? . . . . the shear will to win? Whatever
it was, the Lady Aggies had it. Trailing by ten points at the
intermission, they knew they had a big job ahead of them. Shortly
after the start of the second half, OPSU shifted into high
gear with a dozen unanswered points, and with just under 16
minutes left in the game, it was tied 47-47. Two minutes later,
the Lady Aggies took the lead at 53-51 and nailed the door
shut for the win.
The fourth-seed Lady Aggies had taken a 16-hour
bus ride to play against the top seeded MSUB squad in the first-round
Heartland Conference playoff game. It was the fourth game of
the season between the two teams, with the Yellowjackets having
won two of the first three. MSUB entered the game with an 18-9
season record compared to 14-13 for the Lady Aggies.
OPSU head coach Jerry Olson was very
proud of his team. After the game, Olson said, “Our kids showed some great heart.
We did not quit, and we beat a great team.” Olson also
praised the play of MSUB’s Michelle Lieber who led all
scorers with 31 points.
In the second half, the Lady Aggies dished
out some “Serious
R&B” as the Yellowjackets got a big dose of (Taneisha)
Rogers and (Bridgett) Boykin, who combined for 30 points in
the final period.
Rogers, who spent part of last Saturday
in the hospital after suffering a head injury in the win
over Lincoln on Friday night, had a great game. The 5’7” guard from Houston led
her team in scoring with 25 points, 17 of them in the second
half. Boykin, a 5’9” senior, also came up big in
the second period, scoring 13 of her 15 points.
Nina Kuleff, the outstanding Lady Aggies
center, recorded her 15th double-double of the season, this
time with 18 points and ten rebounds. The 6’0” junior
hit six of her eight shots from the field and was perfect
in six foul shots. Senior forward Diana Garduno came off
the bench for the Lady Aggies and fought her way to 11 points.
Boykin said the team had a great deal
of energy and the key to the win was that they kept that
energy, along with their focus, throughout the entire game.
Rogers, normally with the widest smile in the gym after an
OPSU victory, said, “We
didn’t want to drive 16 hours back to Goodwell without
a win.”
The Lady Aggies are now 15-13 on the
season and will be in San Antonio on Saturday to face St.
Mary’s (17-11) in
the Heartland Conference championship game. St. Mary’s
had a big upset of their own on Wednesday with a 63-59 victory
over St. Edward’s. MSUB and St. Edward’s were the
league’s co-champions this season.
The win against MSUB marked a banner
night for Oklahoma Panhandle State University players and
fans. The Lady Aggie trip to San Antonio on Saturday will
be the school’s first ever appearance
in the Heartland Conference title game after five seasons in
the league. Tip-off for the game is set for 7:30 p.m.
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