If there was any thought the UAFS women’s basketball team might suffer a little bit of a letdown after beating No. 23-ranked Newman University on Thursday, it quickly vanished Saturday against Oklahoma Panhandle State.
            Five players scored in double-figures as the Lady Lions routed the Aggies 91-44 in Heartland Conference play at the Stubblefield Center to win their fifth game in a row and sweep the season series.
            UAFS (14-6, 6-2) remained in a two-way tie for second place with the University of Texas of the Permian Basin (15-6, 6-2). Newman (17-3, 6-1), which was idle Saturday, remained in first place.
            Panhandle State plays an unconventional style based on wholesale substitutions nearly each time the clock stops, but much like the first encounter, which UAFS won 115-83 at Goodwell, Okla., that style of play didn’t faze the Lady Lions.
            The Lady Lions held the Aggies to just 21-percent shooting (15-of-71) – the lowest shooting percentage for an opponent this season – and 13-percent shooting from 3-point range (5-of-39) – the lowest 3-point shooting percentage for an opponent this season.
            Panhandle State’s 44 points were the fewest points allowed by UAFS this season, surpassing the 53 points allowed against the University of Arkansas-Monticello on Dec. 3 at Monticello.
            UAFS forced a season-high 32 turnovers, which it turned into 32 points.
            Eight Aggies scored but none reached double-figures. Senior forward Tra’Niqua Dishmon had nine points – five points coming at the free-throw line – to lead the Aggies, who shot only 16 free-throws (9-of-16).
            The Lady Lions shot 51 percent from the field (37-of-73) – they were 6-of-18 from 3-point range – and shot just 52 percent from the free-throw line (11-of-21).
Junior guard Tracey Parsons scored a season-high 21 points, senior center Coby Hill had 13, senior forward Whitney Lee 12, senior guard Vasha Sanders 11 and senior forward Janae’ Hendreson 10 off the bench.
            The unselfish Lady Lions dished out a season-high 25 assists with Sanders and Parsons collecting six and five assists, respectively.
             Hill had nine rebounds to lead the Lady Lions, who out-rebounded the Aggies 54-48. UAFS had 13 offensive rebounds that led to seven second-chance points.
            UAFS will return to conference play on a 5:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Texas-Permian Basin in Odessa, Texas.
 
WOMEN
UAFS 91, OPSU 44
OPSU              19        25        --          44
UAFS               50        41        --          91
OPSU (3-18, 0-7): Dishmon 9, Kent 8, Buhl 7, Mathis 7, Quinonez 5, McDonald 4, Munson 3, Gonzalez 1
UAFS (14-6, 6-2): Parsons 21, Hill 13, Lee 12, Sanders 11, Hendreson 10, Spearman 9, BenAmor 8, Sublett 6, Stegall 1