RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. - The Arkansas Tech women's basketball team drops their home game against Northwestern Oklahoma 68-80 in Tucker Coliseum. Following the game, the Golden Suns are 13-10 overall, with an 11-8 record in Great American Conference play.

To begin the game, both teams opened up knocking down three-pointers as Kaley Shipman matched Northwestern Oklahoma's triple with one of her own off the assist from Claudia Bridges. From there, the Rangers would go on a 6-3 run to take a 9-6 lead over the Golden Suns. A two-point jumper and two made shots at the free throw line from Jalei Oglesby and a three ball from Bridges put the Golden Suns back in front 13-9 with 6:04 left to go in the opening quarter of action.

Julie Wagner would score the next bucket for the Golden Suns in the paint off the glass following the dish from Sarah Edmondson for the assist to keep them in front of the Rangers. Following the bucket by Wagner, the Rangers put together a 7-0 run to pull back ahead 17-15, but Shipman quickly got Arkansas Tech back in front drilling a three from beyond-the-arc to take the lead 18-17.

The Rangers would pull ahead again at the 26 second mark of the first quarter leading 21-18, but Dana Thompson would tie the game with a triple in the final seconds of the quarter to tie the game 21-21 heading into the second quarter.

Overall in the first quarter, the Golden Suns shot excellent from three-point range knocking down 45.5% (5-of-11) of their shots from that distance. 

Both sides would trade leads back and forth to begin the second quarter, but a turnover by Oglesby led to a three down the floor for Northwestern Oklahoma putting them ahead by five at 28-23. 

For much of the second quarter, the Rangers were knocking down shots and would hold as much as an eight point lead over the Golden Suns. A pair of two-point baskets from Oglesby and ClaraGrace Prater would get the Golden Suns back within five towards the end of the quarter looking to close on a run. The Golden Suns would ultimately head to the locker room for halftime down just two at 40-42 after ending the first half on an 8-2 run. 

Coming out of halftime, the Golden Suns would get the lead right back as Shipman buried a three-pointer to get her team back in front 43-42. Shipman would once again grab the lead back from the Rangers with another three after a successful 2-of-2 trip at the line for NWOSU, but they would answer right back with a three of their own to lead Tech 47-46. 

Over the next 2:17 of the quarter, neither side would find a bucket. At the 4:44 mark NWOSU would score a layup in the paint, followed by one from Oglesby which would get the Golden Suns back within a point at 48-49 with 4:25 left in the third. 

The Rangers would make another two-point basket and a free-throw, but the Golden Suns would make the final baskets of the quarter with a two-pointer from Shipman and a 1-for-2 trip to the line for Oglesby to head into the final quarter of action down by one point at 52-51. The Golden Suns outscored the Rangers in the third quarter 11-10. 

Northwestern Oklahoma quickly found a 7-0 run on offense to start the final quarter of play to pull ahead 59-51 and would hold the Golden Suns scoreless for the first 2:19 of the quarter. The first two baskets of the quarter for Arkansas Tech came from a layup inside from Wagner off the pass from Prater, while Shipman got a two-point jumper to fall also off the dish by Prater. 

The Rangers would get right back on offense and connect on another three-point basket to take a 62-55 lead. A 2-of-2 trip to the line and a three-pointer from Prater off the assist from Oglesby would cut into the Rangers lead to make it a seven point deficit for Tech with 4:39 left in the game. 

The Golden Suns would try and get back in the game but would be unable to match the offensive production that the Rangers had in the fourth quarter and would be outscored 28-17 in the final quarter and fall 68-80 in the game. 

Leading the Golden Suns in the game against the Rangers was Oglesby with 24 points and nine rebounds. Oglesby also shot 50.0% (8-of-16) from the floor and dished out two assists in her performance. The other leading scorer for the Golden Suns was Shipman with 18 points against Northwestern Oklahoma. 

The Golden Suns will play one more home game before the week is up as they host Southwestern Oklahoma on Saturday. The game against the Bulldogs is set for a 1 p.m. tip-off in Tucker Coliseum on Saturday afternoon. 

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