TISHOMINGO, Okla.—Connors State drained 19-of-27 at the free throw line, including 7-of-10 in the fourth quarter to defeat Paris Junior College 63-58 in the Murray State Classic Friday.

"We won this game at the free throw line, no doubt," said Coach Jamie Fisher. "We didn't play very well at times, but we overcame a lot of adversity tonight.

"We learned how to grind it out defensively. It was two or three key defensive stops at the end to win the game."

Connors will take a 6-1 record into a noon game Saturday against the North Texas Club team, who fell to Murray State Friday.

Connors who played without two starters late in the game who fouled out, De'Asia Reid and Chalynn Mayes, both post players.

"That took away our inside game and we had to overcome it," said Fisher. "We played well enough down the stretch to get the win. They really gutted it out to get this one."

Lauren Wright led the Cowgirls scoring with 20 points with Mayes finishing with 13 and Tateum Jones 12.

Skye Watts, the Dragons leading scorer with a 17 point average, was held to nine points.  Alaeh Pressley led Paris' attack with 14.

Cowgirls held a 20-point lead in the second quarter but had it sliced to two points 55-53 in the fourth period, before the Cowgirls took advantage at the charity stripe.

The Dragons went to the stripe only 12 times in the game converting just five.

Connors led 23-20 after the first period and 38-34 at the half.

CONNORS STATE 63, PARIS JC 58

Connors 23 15 13 12—63

Paris JC   20 14 10 14—58

Connors State (6-1)—L. Wright 20, Mayes 13, T. Jones 12,  McCallister 6, Gonzalez 6, Reid 6.

Paris JC (0-5)—Presley 14, Warren 9, Watts 9, Garcia 8, Green 7, Casey 6, Cummings 3, Smith 2.