GOODWALL, OK. … Livia Brito netted a career-high 18 points as she led Southwest Baptist to a 69-53 win over St. Gregory’s in the Oklahoma Panhandle State Classic. With the win, Jim Middleton now only needs three wins to reach 200 career wins.

“It was a good win for us but it wasn’t pretty.  I think Livia Brito had her best game ever at SBU. She did a very good job of attacking the zone.  It is the first zone of any extent that we have played against this year.  The last six minutes of the game I think we took a hold of things and took care of the game by controlling both ends of the floor,” says head coach Jim Middleton.

St. Gregory’s took an eight point lead in the first eight minutes of the game, 17-9, with 12:38 to go.  In the next three minutes, SBU went on a 9-0 run to take an 18-17 lead.  This lead lasted only 30 seconds as SGU hit a three-pointer for a two-point lead.  This was the last lead for SGU. Trisha Lyons tied the game at 20 at the 8:53 mark as this sparked a 10-0 run to put SBU up by eight, 28-20.  SGU did bring SBU’s lead to two, 30-28, at the 1:43 to go but the Lady Bearcats finished the half on a 5-2 run.

Brito put SBU up by seven in the first 30 seconds of the second half but SGU brought the lead back down to three, 37-34, at the 18:43 mark.  A 10-3 run by the Lady Bearcats gave SBU their first double-digit lead of the game, 47-37, with 14:35 to go.  SGU did not give up as they responded with their own 7-0 run to come within three, 47-44.  SBU had an 8-1 run after that to push their lead back to 10, 57-47, with 8:10 to go.  The lead dropped under 10 just one more time as SBU and then they finished the last 6:16 outscoring SGU, 10-2 for the 16-point win. 

SBU’s Brito led all scorers with 18 points.  Casey Beavers added 16 and Courtney Shewmaker recorded a career-high 13 points.  Beavers brought down eight rebounds. 

The Lady Bearcats finished the game shooting 52.6% and 83% from the free throw line.  There were a combined 50 turnovers in the game with SBU having 22. 

SBU will face Western State at 2 p.m. in the final game of the OPSU Lady Aggie Classic.