WARNER---Redlands Community College kept a stranglehold on the top spot in the Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference with a 64-49 victory over the Connors State Cowgirls Thursday at Melvin Self Field House.
The win gives the 20th-ranked Cougars a 7-1 mark in the OCAC and 18-2 overall. The Cowgirls drop to 4-3 in league play and 17-4 on the year.
Connors resumes league play on Monday at Tishomingo against Murray State.
"We just had too many turnovers and mistakes," said Cowgirls Coach Jamie Fisher.
Trailing by as many as 16 points in the first half, Connors behind De'Asia Reid, the Cowgirls opened the second half with a fury.
Reid scored 9 of the opening 12 points to slice the Redlands lead to just three points 33-30 at the 6:17 mark. Reid finished with 16 points to lead the Cowgirls' scoring.
That was as close as the Cowgirls came to the Cougars as they cruised to a 16-point bulge again late in the contest.
Redlands dominated the first half cruising to 33-21 lead at the break.
It was the Cougars' Christian Jenkins who did much of the damage for Redlands in the first two periods. Jenkins poured in 17 points to lead the Cougars assault and finished with 23, a career high.
"You just can't let a person score a career high against you and expect to win, " said Fisher. "We did a good job on the boards, but the turnovers were costly."
Redlands was deadly at the free throw line draining 9-of-11 attempts, while Connors was 5-of-7 at the stripe. Connors finished 11-of-16 at the stripe as did the Cougars.
Cougars largest lead of the first half was 16 points 26-10 at the 7:02 mark of the second quarter. Cowgirls came no closer than 12 points.
REDLANDS CC 64, CONNORS STATE 49
Redlands 17 16 16 15--64
Connors State 6 15 15 13--49
Redlands (18-2, 7-1)—Jenkins 23, Hopkins 13, Niehues 9, Row 7, Jones 4, Jackson 4, Banks 2, Perkins 2.
Connors State (17-4, 4-3)—Reid 16, Crain 6, L. Wright 6, Ka. Wright 5, Jones 5, Mayes 5, Taylor 4, Gonzalez 2,