BETHANY, Okla. – Behind a 53.6 field-goal percentage, the Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm defeated the Ouachita Baptist Lady Tigers 75-62 on Saturday. Katie Kapler recorded a game-high 19 points and seven rebounds in the loss.
 
Both teams started hot on offense, combining for 6-8 from the field. Kapler recorded the first eight points for the Lady Tigers, shooting 4-5 to start the first quarter. A 6-0 run by Southern Nazarene (1-1, 1-1 GAC), however, put the Crimson Storm ahead 14-8 midway through the period. SNU would maintain its lead until the second quarter, but the Lady Tigers remained close, down 22-18 after one period.
 
In the second quarter, Southern Nazarene jumped out to a 37-23 lead on a 15-2 run and held at least an 11 point lead until the half ended with Ouachita down 45-34. Southern Nazarene dominated offensively in the first half, shooting 61.3 percent from the field. The Crimson Storm also held the Lady Tigers to only 37.9 percent and grabbed seven more rebounds.
 
Kapler kept the Lady Tigers in the contest with 13 first-half points, while Halley Hill added six points on 2-2 shooting from three-point range.
 
The Lady Tigers began their comeback in the third quarter, outscoring the Crimson Storm 19-14. A 12-4 run to end the third quarter put Ouachita down by only six points. Kori Bullard, who competed in the GAC Volleyball Tournament for the Ouachita on Thursday, led the Lady Tigers with six points in the quarter.
 
In the fourth quarter, however, SNU stopped Ouachita's comeback and eventually took a 14-point lead with 2:41 to play in the contest. The Crimson Storm then knocked down three of their final four free-throws to seal the 75-62 win.
 
The Lady Tigers greatly improved their shooting percentage in the second half, netting 41.4 percent of their shots from the field. 13 second-half turnovers, however, resulted in six points for the Crimson Storm. Bullard was 5-9 in the half in scoring 11 points.
 
Southern Nazarene finished the game with a field-goal percentage of 52.6 percent. Ouachita posted a 39.7 percent, including just 4-24 from three-point range. The Lady Tigers did receive a huge boost from the bench in the game, outscoring SNU's bench 28-14.
 
Behind Kapler's 19 and seven, Bullard followed with 11 points, and Breanna Harris added eight points and four assists.
 
The Lady Tigers (0-4, 0-2 GAC) will take a break from GAC-play, as Ouachita hosts Texas A&M University – Commerce on Tuesday, Nov. 24. The game is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Bill Vining Arena.