OttawaHerald.com -- Community News. Community Connections.

	Franklin County, Kansas, USA

Subscriber Services Home Delivery Gift Subscription Stop-Start Delivery Missing Paper Back Issues Newsstand Locations Shopper Locations

Advertising Services Manage Your Account Place a Classified Ad Place a Display Ad Advertise Online Business Finder Directory

Other Services Submit News Laminated Items Photos & Keepsakes Article Archives Contact Us History of the Herald Our Policies

Suggest a poll topic

2010-02-09

2010-01-19

Agriculture

Lifestyles

Tuesday, November 17, 2009 11:00 PM

Sports Photo Gallery of Lady Braves basketball vs. Columbia: Purchase Photos!

Photo by Elliot J. Sutherland/The Ottawa Herald

Ottawa University sophomore KiKi Smith looks for an open teammate as she splits two Columbia College defenders Tuesday in Wilson Field House. The Lady Braves fell 77-60. For more photos, go to www.ottawaherald.com.

Lady Braves falter in second half in loss to Columbia

One bad stretch

By Greg Mast/Herald Sports Editor

For eight minutes, not much went right Tuesday for the Ottawa University women’s basketball team.

The Lady Braves were tied 43-43 with No. 14 Columbia College at Wilson Field House with 16:05 left in the second half.

The next eight minutes turned into a horror show. Ottawa missed shots, had turnovers and gave up easy shots. Columbia scored 18 straight points, and that was the cushion needed for the victory.

Ottawa fell 77-60.

“It was lack of focus,” Ottawa coach Bruce Tate said. “Eliminate that eight-minute [stretch], it is a different ball game. We gave them good looks ... looks we did not give them in the first half.”

Columbia shot 58 percent from the field in the second half.

Tate said Ottawa needs to find the defense he knows his team can play.

“We can’t allow five people in double figures,” Tate said.

The game was tied 34-34 at halftime. Tate said the message at halftime was how would Ottawa respond when Columbia made its move.

“What will we do to stop it,” Tate said.

The answer: Ottawa did not have one.

“We got opportunities on the offensive end,” Tate said. “We missed baskets in key moments. We had a lot of empty possessions.”

Columbia had its way inside, outscoring Ottawa 42-18 in the paint.

“They are very deep,” Tate said. “We have to get points in the paint.”

Ottawa’s main gun inside, Misty Stone, battled inside for 18 points as the senior hit 10 of 13 free throws.

“We gave Misty a lot of touches,” Tate said.

It was a disappointing loss.

“We had the No. 14 team here, and we took it to them,” Tate said. “We are getting better each game. We have not yet played a complete game.”

Senior Mallory Mueller finished with 11 points and three assists.

Ottawa (1-6) plays 7 p.m. Thursday against Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence.

Columbia (77) — Oswald 19, Smith 10, Davis 2, Session 10, Widaman 12, Cross 2, Wilkerson 4, Phillips 4, Ivory 2, Rosario 12.

Ottawa (60) — Gibson 7, Stone 18, Hartzler 6, Smith 3, Mueller 11, Hasenkamp 6, Buckles 4, Post 5.

Greg Mast can be reached at sports@ottawaherald.com