SAN ANGELO - The Angelo State women's basketball team bounced back from their first loss of the 2017-18 season in dominant fashion on Saturday, beating Oklahoma Christian 85-70 in the Stephens Arena at the Junell Center.
The Belles (2-1 ) spread the scoring around throughout the game, finishing with four different players in double figures and two players in Keanna Kelly and Marquita Daniels who both set career0highs.
"It was great to see all those players step up," Angelo State Head Women's Basketball Coach Renae Shippy said. "Especially Keanna and Marquita, since they're some of our senior leaders and they were finally able to showcase what they can do."
ASU started off the game hot, with senior Madi Greenwood hitting a three-pointer on the first possession of the game. Marquita Daniels followed with a three-pointer of her own to open up an early four-point lead for the Belles.
Daniels scored 22 points to set a new career high in the game, and the senior also grabbed five steals to lead the team.
The Eagles fought back, however, taking a one-point lead with just over six minutes to play in the opening period and again with three minutes left in the first quarter. ASU then went on a 11-3 run to finish the quarter, capped off by a buzzer-beating jumper from Kelly to head in to the first break.
Kelly had her best game of the young season against the Eagles, scoring a career-high 25 points and pulling down six rebounds as well.
A three-pointer from Kelly to start the second quarter pushed the Angelo State lead to double digits and five minutes later she hit again from behind the arc to get the lead to 15 points.
Free throws from De'Anira Moore and a three-pointer from Dezirae Hampton opened the lead up to 17 points with 2:44 left in the quarter, marking its largest point of the first half. OCU ended the half on a small 9-4 run, however, and the teams went into the locker room with the Belles up by 12.
Moore had her second straight double-double in the game after scoring 10 points and pulling down a career-high 18 rebounds. Hampton came close to finishing with a double-double of her own, scoring 12 points and grabbing nine boards.
Oklahoma Christian got the first points of the second half as well to reduce the gap to just 10 points, but ASU scored the next seven points, including a layup from Daniels and a three-pointer from Kelly, to get back up by 17.
Angelo State held the lead there until close to the two minute mark in the third quarter, when OCU used another small run to cut the gap back to 10 points. Hampton got to the free throw line with just three seconds left in the quarter, however, and hit one to end the ASU drought. The Belles went into the final quarter up 11 points.
Kelly hit again to open the fourth quarter, but the Belles saw their lead shrink to just 11 points with 7:45 left in the game. Over the next five minutes, ASU went on a 14-5 run highlighted by three-pointers from Daniels and Kelly to open up their largest lead of the game at 22 points.
The Belles held off the Eagles for the final two minutes of the game, notching their second victory of the season in the process.
Angelo State will be on the road for its next matchup, taking on Texas A&M-Kingsville on Tuesday in Kingsville.
