ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - The Ouachita Lady Tigers defeated the Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers, 86-76, on Thursday, posting their highest field-goal percentage in a month. The Lady Tigers netted 49.2 percent of their shots from the floor.

Ouachita (10-17, 7-14 GAC) took the first lead of the contest on a free-throw by Katie Kapler, but the Northwestern Oklahoma State (2-25, 0-21 GAC) eventually took a 10-9 lead with 4:20 to play in the first quarter. The Lady Tigers took the lead right back, however, with a three-pointer by Macey Burr. The Rangers tied the score on the next possession, but Ouachita took back the lead and held it for the remainder of the period.

With three seconds to play in the first quarter, Halley Hill netted a mid-ranger jumper to put the Lady Tigers ahead, 19-15. The basket started a 12-0 run that carried over into the second quarter, and Ouachita eventually took a 31-15 lead on a layup by Kori Bullard. The Lady Tigers then held a lead of at least 11 for the rest of the half, taking a 46-33 lead into the break.

Kapler led all scorers with 14 first-half points on 5-8 shooting from the floor. As a team, Ouachita converted on 48.6 percent of its field goals, including 16 points in the paint and 13 second-chance points.

Ouachita held its double-digit lead through the first three minutes of the third quarter, until a 6-0 run by the Rangers cut the lead to seven. Two free-throws from Katherine West and a layup by Alexis Sharp, however, gave the Lady Tigers another 10-point lead.

With 5:19 to play in the period, Bullard knocked down a jumper that sparked a 12-2 run by Ouachita. The run lasted over four minutes and ended with a free-throw by Bria Caldwell that put Ouachita ahead, 69-51. With 20 seconds until the final quarter, Morgan Miller scored a layup after grabbing an offensive rebound to give the Lady Tigers their largest lead of 19 points.

In the fourth quarter, Ouachita never allowed the Rangers to pull within 10 points, and after a three-pointer by Northwestern to bring the score to 86-76, Ouachita ran out the final 25 seconds on the clock to secure the victory.

Eight different players scored for the Lady Tigers in the second half, as Ouachita posted a field-goal percentage of 50 percent. The Lady Tigers also netted 14-16 free-throws.

For the game, 10 players scored for Ouachita, with Kapler scoring a team-high 20 points. Bullard followed with 16 points and a team-high nine rebounds, while Breanna Harris added 15 points and three assists. Caldwell was the fourth Lady Tiger to score in double-digits in the game, recording 11 points to go with five boards.

The Lady Tigers will return to action on Saturday, Feb. 27, for their final game of the season. Ouachita will host Southwestern Oklahoma State in Vining Arena, with the tipoff scheduled for 1 p.m.