Connors drops pair to NOC-Enid

January 13, 2009 12:12 am

— By Kenton Brooks
Phoenix Sports Writer

WARNER — Rebounding has been a forte of the Connors State women’s basketball team this season, but the lack of getting the offensive board proved the undoing of the Cowgirls against Northern-Enid on Monday night at Melvin Self Field House.
“We gave up too many offensive rebounds,” Connors coach Eddie Kite said after his team lost 66-60 to the Lady Jets for their first defeat in 16 games this season. “They’re an athletic team and fought for every offensive rebound. We didn’t.”
The Cowgirls, ranked No. 10 in the national polls, also played without 6-foot-3 Gabrielle Rosiji. Kite said the sophomore center missed the game for “personal reasons.”
“It was huge (not having her in the lineup),” he said. “That’s a double-double not in there. She’s averaging 17 points and 11 rebounds. That was probably the difference in the game.”
While Connors was able to battle back to tie the game at 51 with 6:28 left in the game on Kameisha Johnson’s jump shot, the Lady Jets (12-4) then outscored the Cowgirls 15-9 for the rest of the game.
“We tried and battled hard, but we didn’t do a good job of blocking out,” Kite said.
It marks the second straight season for the Cowgirls to lose their first game after starting out 15-0. Last year, Seminole knocked Kite’s team from the unbeaten ranks.
Johnson finished with a game-high 20 points and Ashleigh Franklin had 11.
Deeva Vaughn led the Lady Jets with 19 points, while Danyel Moses had 12 and Tiffany Goldwire added 11.
Connors men and women play in Altus against Western at 6 and 8 p.m. on Thursday. The Cowboys are home against Redlands at 3 p.m. Saturday.
Northern-Enid men 75,
Connors State 59
Coach Bill Muse and the Cowboys would just as soon forget the second half of their game against the Jets (11-5). Northern-Enid took its first lead with 9:09 left in the game on the way to outscoring Connors 46-26 in the latter 20 minutes.
The loss is the second straight for Connors (13-4) since resuming play after the holiday break.
“Right now, I’m just kind of befuddled,” Muse said. “I thought they were more physical, got every loose ball and they played harder. They just took it to us in the second half.”
Aaron McHenry, the Jets’ 6-1 guard, led the second half surge with all of his 15 points in the half. Ben Smith had 13, while Wayne Runnels had 12 and Juleous Grant added 11. Jeremy Lay scored 10 of his 17 points in the second half.
Like the Cowgirls, the Cowboys were without the inside presence of 6-7 Justin Butler. Muse kicked Butler off the team this past weekend for “violation of team policy.”
“We’ll find out the rest of the year, I guess,” Muse said about missing Butler in the lineup. “You’ve got to learn how to play a lot of different ways.”
Stephon Weaver led the Cowboys and topped all scorers with 24 points and Chris Blake added 13.

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