OKWU ROUNDUP: Hoop teams swept at Sterling; Spikers eliminated in NAIA tourney
Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s Maia Rubio (6) digs a serve during earlier season action. The Lady Eagles were eliminatd from the NAIA national tournament last week. OKWU surged into the postseason as the No. 9 ranked NAIA team in the nation — and made it all the way to pool play in the national tournament.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s Sydney Collins (8) and other Lady Eagles celebrate an earlier season win. The Lady Eagles were eliminated from the NAIA national tournament last week. OKWU surged into the postseason as the No. 9 ranked NAIA team in the nation — and made it all the way to pool play in the national tournament.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Mike Tupa
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
With one of their sharpest scythes on the bench, the Oklahoma Wesleyan University weren’t able to successfully chop through the foliage of adversity during men’s basketball action Saturday (Dec. 7).
As a result, the Eagles dropped. a gut-stinging 71-68 decision to host Sterling (Kan.) College.
With the loss the Eagles fell to 7-3 overall and lost their first decision of the season in Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference play (4-1). Sterling improved to 9-2 (4-1).
Things weren’t happier for OKWU in the women’s game.
The Sterling women (8-2, 5-1) ended the Lady Eagles’ two-game winning streak, 84-61.
OKWU ladies fell to 3-7, 1-3, and will look to bounce back in Wednesday’s (Dec. 11) doubleheader at Southwestern (Kan.) College.
Meanwhile, the OKWU volleyball powerhouse saw its season end just shy of advancing to the NAIA Final 8.
Following are more details on events.
__________
VOLLEYBALL: St. Thomas eliminates OKWU
The worst part about playoffs?
Only one team finishes as a winner.
The rest of the players from all other teams have to endure all the pain, the disappointment, crashing into the marble-lined reality the journey is ended and there are no more chances.
In certain ways it’s not fair.
Consider Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s volleyball team for instance.
The Lady Eagles, who are coached by Tracie Gillette, stormed to an amazing season — 31 wins, two conference titles and advancement deep into the NAIA national tournament.
Hopefully the stigma of elimination defeat — against unbeaten St. Thomas (33-0) — will be short and shallow and the successes of the season will predominate their memories.
For a couple of days, however, Friday’s (Dec. 6) 3-0 loss (10-25, 19-25, 22-25) to St. Thomas will probably hurt.
OKWU just never got its hitting attack up to full voltage.
In the previous day’s match, OKWU had averaged more than 15 kills a set. The number fell to 8.3 per set against St. Thomas.
On Thursday, the Lady Eagles had two blasters with 20-or-more-kills — in Friday’s finale Evelyn Rohrberg topped the list with 12.
Assists fell from more than 70 on Thursday to 22 on Friday. True, Thursday’s match went five sets and Friday’s lasted only three.
But, the percentages and averages saw a major drop-off. Obviously, St. Thomas has something extraordinarily going for it.
OKWU (31-4) needed to beat St. Thomas in order to have a chance to go the Final Eight of the NAIA national tournament.
But St. Thomas earned the coveted spot while OKWU players headed back to Bartlesville to begin an offseason of great promise.
Explosive promise.
Like probably returning almost all their firepower, their setter, their libero and defensive specialists — all of you will be a year stronger, a year more polished, a year more experienced and a year more familiar with each other.
Two of the major losses will be middle blocker Maddy McKinney, a fifth year player and also a graduate of Oklahoma Union High School, and defensive specialist Allison Howard.
OKWU surged into the postseason as the No. 9 ranked NAIA team in the nation — and made it all the way to pool play in the national tournament.
Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s Tatiana Gilford (23) looks to the hoop during earlier season action. The Lady Eagles fell to Sterling, 84-61 on the road on Dec. 7, 2024.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
__________
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Sterling 84, OKWU 61
OKWU stumbled to its second-lowest scoring output of the season despite an impressive 22-point eruption by Haley Meely.
Meely knocked down three three-pointers and made her only free throw. She also handed out a team-best three assists.
Zariah Tillman added six points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and no turnovers.
Meanwhile, Rashaan Smith sprang off the pine to contribute a double-double (12 points, 11 rebounds) in only 19 minutes. She yanked down four offensive boards.
Koryann Clason and Alissa Heskamp poured in 26 and 20 points, respectively, for Sterling. Clason dialed in 8-of-8 free throws.
Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s Jaden Wilson (4) blocks out during an earlier season game. The Eagles fell on the road to Sterling, 71-68, on the road Dec. 7, 2024.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
__________
MEN’S BASKETBALL: Sterling 71, OKWU 68
The Eagles made their customary strong run in the second half — but still came up just short of staying perfect in conference.
With fourth-year starting forward Jaden Lietzke out — still recovering from a nose injury and facial cuts suffered from the previous game — OKWU’s degree of difficulty going into the contest already loomed high.
Perhaps adjusting to the absence of the sure-shot Lietzke — who is hitting nearly 80 percent of his field goals and averaging 16.4 points per game — resulted in a tepid offensive output of 25 points in the first half.
OKWU generated more firepower in the second half — pumping in 43 points — but came up just three points shy.
Temaje Izuabe came off the bench to drain 13 points to lead the Eagles’ scoring list, followed by starter D.J. Talton Jr. with 12.
Three other Eagles amassed seven points each — Humberto Kentish Jr., Daniel Oluwasuyi and Yashi McKenzie.
Talton also pulled down six rebounds, ladled out three assists and made three steals.
For Sterling, Jayden Garrison netted 24 points, including six three-pointers. Mooch Austin added 19 points — including hitting 9-of-9 from the three-point line.
The Eagles — who are coached by Donnie Bostwick — could have Lietzke back on the floor in Wednesday’s showdown at Southwestern (Winfield, Kan.) College.