Ozarks pulls away from Schreiner 70-56

Abby Beene scored 20 points and Ozarks (Ark.) dominated the opening half Friday night en route to a 70-56 victory over Schreiner at Stephens Family Arena.

The visiting Eagles built a commanding 36-18 halftime lead and maintained control throughout the second half to hand the Mountaineers their fifth consecutive loss.

Beene shot 7-for-15 from the field and added 10 rebounds for Ozarks, which shot 58.3 percent from 3-point range (7-for-12) and controlled the glass with a 40-27 rebounding advantage. Kennedi Wight contributed 10 points and nine rebounds off the bench.

Brie Sosa led Schreiner with 18 points on 6-for-13 shooting, including 4-for-8 from beyond the arc. Lynnashia Brooks added 15 points and eight rebounds, while Madelyn Kincaide scored 11 points.

Ozarks seized control early, outscoring Schreiner 20-8 in the first quarter. The Eagles extended their lead to 18 points by halftime before the Mountaineers rallied with a 19-point third quarter to cut the deficit to 49-37.

But Schreiner (3-15, 2-7 SCAC) could get no closer in the final period as Ozarks shot 78.9 percent from the free-throw line (15-for-19) to close out the victory.

The Mountaineers shot just 35.8 percent from the field and were whistled for a technical foul on Bell Martinez.