EL RENO---Connors State took an early lead but had it evaporate due to turnovers (21) and the Cowgirls fell to Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference regular season champion Redlands Community College 68-54 on the Cougars home floor.
"Turnovers have been our problem all season and it happened again tonight," said Coach Jamie Fisher.
"When you have 13 turnovers from two people that's a bad sign. We are just turning the ball over too much. I told the girls if we can play within ourselves we can be a scary team and upset some people.
"We lose ourselves within the game. We lose opportunities," said Fisher.
The Cougars closed out the regular season with a 23-5 overall record and 12-4 OCAC mark earning the top-seed in the Region II Women's Basketball Tournament March 5-7 at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, Okla.
The Cowgirls will conclude its regular season Thursday night against Murray State at Melvin Self Field House at 5: 30 p.m. Connors will take an 18-11 season mark and 5-10 league record into Sophomore Night.
After the Murray State game, the Cowgirls will play on Monday night (March 2nd) against Arkansas Baptist College in the Region II play-in game. A win would send Connors against top-seed Redlands on March 5th at a time to be determined.
Connors held an early first quarter lead before trailing 12-11 at the end of the quarter. It was the second and third periods that ended the Cowgirls' hopes as the Cougars outscored the Cowgirls 36-19 for a 47-30 leading entering the fourth quarter. Connors played the Cougars even in the fourth, as both clubs scored 21 points each.
Cowgirls had only one player score in double figures. De'Asia Reid had 22 points.
"De'Asia had a good game for us. "said Fisher. "They just can't stop her inside the paint.
Christina Jenkins and Reneya Hopkins led the Redlands scoring with 12 points each. Mariah Jones added 10 more in the win.
EDLANDS CC 68, CONNORS STATE 54
Connors State 11 9 10 21—54
Redlands CC 12 17 18 21—68
Connors State (18-11, 5-10)—Reid 22, L. Wright 9, Crain 8, Gonzalez 6, T. Jones 5, McCallister 2, Taylor 2.
Redlands CC (23-5, 12-4)—Hopkin 12, Jenkins 12, Jones 10, Lovings 7, Perkins 7, Jackson 6, Warnern5, Banks 2.