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ORU Outscores UTPA 32-13 in Second Half to Cruise to 60-40 win
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With the win, ORU moves to 8-5 on the season and forces UTPA to its first home loss of the season after starting the season 7-0 at home.
Junior Mariana Camargo would lead the way for the Golden Eagles, scoring a team-high 12 points, while dishing out four assists and sneaking in for four steals in the win. Camargo scored eight of those points in the second half to finish the game shooting 6-for-8 from field-goal range.
Sophomore Janae Voelker came out firing in the second half to finish the game with 11 points and eight boards, while junior Rachel Watman finished in double-digits with 10 points.
UTPA's LaKeisha Gray was the only trouble spot for the Golden Eagles, finishing the game with a game-high 18 points, hitting 7-of-13 from field-goal range and 3-of-6 from behind the arc.
The Golden Eagles would open up the game on a 7-0 run before the Lady Broncs would respond with five-straight points by Muskogee native LeKeisha Gray to close within two of ORU, 7-5. Mariana Camargo would get two easy back-to-back layins to give ORU the 11-5 advantage at the 14:38 mark.
ORU would hold UTPA scoreless for the next five minutes, while the Golden Eagles would extend their lead to 12 with the help of two-straight trey's by Kelly Kindell. The Broncs' LeKeisha Gray would eventually find the basket at the 10:20 mark to close ORU's lead to 10, but the Golden Eagles would come right back to regain their 12-point lead with Monah Pegorari and Janae Voelker layups.
UPTA would light a fire, going on a 10-0 run before ORU would stop the run with a Rachel Watman jumper with 4:11 left to go in the first half. Both teams would trade points, with Amanda Predovic scoring her first three points of the season, but the Broncs would fight to get within three after back-to-back jumpers by Rose Jean with :45 seconds left until the break. UTPA's Aleeya Grigsby would toss in a layup at the buzzer to go into halftime with a one-point deficit and the momentum, 27-28.
ORU would start the second half on a 12-0 scoring run, six of those from Voelker, holding the Broncs scoreless for the first six and a half minutes to give ORU the 40-27 lead. Rose Jean's jumper at the 13:45 mark would give UTPA their first points of the second half, but the Golden Eagle defense would hold strong, holding UTPA from point 30 for the next four minutes until LeKeisha Gray knocked in a free-throw, followed by a jumper to close the ORU lead to 17, 49-32 with seven minutes left in the game.
The Golden Eagles would unload on UTPA in the final seven minutes of play, with Mariana Camargo hitting easy baskets and Whitney Wehmeyer scoring her first points of the game, nailing a three to give ORU the 58-35 advantage. Wehymeyer would follow that up with back-to-back free-throws to send ORU home with the 60-40 win over the Lady Broncs.
ORU will return to action on Friday, Jan. 5 as they travel to Shreveport, La., to open conference play against the Centenary Ladies.
-ORU-
