SGU Ends Nine-Game Skid, Beats Rival OBU

Led by 18 points from freshman Ayrionna Taylor, the St. Gregory's University women's basketball team upended MacArthur Street rival Oklahoma Baptist 68-51 on Thursday night at W.P. Wood Field House. Taylor was 6 of 8 from the field and 1 of 2 from three-point range, as the Cavaliers used an early second-half run to defeat the Lady Bison for the second time in the series' last three games.

SGU senior Leticia Silva, who officially became the Cavaliers' all-time leading scorer Thursday, had 16 points and eight boards. Zbeyda Aremi had a season-high 20 for OBU, which lost for the first time in three games.

The Cavs locked the visitors down on defense in the second half, allowing the Lady Bison only seven field goals on 34 attempts (21 percent). SGU only had a 43-41 advantage on the boards but outscored OBU 13-5 on second-chance points.

The game was tied at 31 after a first half that featured five ties and eight lead changes. Neither team led by more than four in the first 20 minutes. SGU held a slight advantage from the floor, hitting 42 percent to OBU's 39 percent.

Aremi led all scorers with 15 points on 7 of 14 shooting for the half. Silva had 10 at the break on 3 of 4 shooting for the Cavs.

SGU came out firing in the second half, scoring 17 of the period's first 20 points as the home team built a 48-34 advantage seven minutes in. The Cavs hit six of their first eight from the floor and was led by Taylor, who had nine points during that stretch.

The Lady Bison chipped away at the lead and cut it to 52-45 on an Allie Brandenburg steal and layup with eight minutes left. But the Cavs answered, going on a decisive 12-0 run over the next 4:17 to put the game away.