March 14, 2007

JACKSON, Tenn. - Fourth-seeded Oklahoma City University defeated fifth-seeded Freed-Hardeman University (Tenn.) 95-85 in double overtime to advance to the second round of the 27^th Annual NAIA Division I Women's Basketball National Championship at Oman Arena.

Freed-Hardeman trailed by eight points at 68-60 with less than four minutes remaining in regulation, but Stacy Myers scored eight of her game-high 29 points over a three-minute stretch that tied the game at 70-70 with 34 seconds left. After Chelsea Ledbetter sank two free throws for Oklahoma City to give the Stars a 72-70 lead with 11 seconds to play in regulation, Myers answered with a field goal as time expired to tie the game at 72-72 and force overtime.

Myers scored all six of Freed-Hardeman's points in the first overtime, but Oklahoma City tied the game at 78-78 with 1:43 to play in the first overtime on a Viola Beybeyah putback. After Freed-Hardeman's Kristal Edney scored to open the second overtime, Oklahoma City took the lead for good on Chelsea Ledbetter's three-pointer with 3:56 remaining. The Stars finished the game with a 10-2 run with the final five points on free throws in the final minute.

All five Oklahoma City starters scored in double figures, led by Alexandra Kotta's 25 points. Beybeyah added 23 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the field, and she also grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds to post the double-double.

Myers was one of four double-digit scorers for Freed-Hardeman, knocking down 15-of-17 free throws for 29 points, while Kari Bishop finished with 16 points and Jana Cross added 15 points.

With the win, Oklahoma City improves to 27-7 on the season and advances to a second-round matchup on Friday at 10:45 a.m. to face the winner of this afternoon's contest between top-seeded Vanguard (Calif.) and Harris-Stowe State (Mo.). Freed-Hardeman drops to 21-11 to finish the season.