For the second time this season, the Odessa College women's basketball team got all it could handle from Midland College.

In the first meeting in Midland, the No. 1 Lady Wranglers were able to mount a late comeback to steal the win, but on Monday, the comeback attempt fell short.

The No. 19 Lady Chaparrals defeated Odessa College 75-66 at the OC Sports Center.

"I thought Midland played well," OC head coach Ara Baten said. "They did a good job running their stuff. Every time we made a run, they'd make a big shot."

OC trailed the majority of the contest, only leading briefly 31-30 early in the third quarter. 

The Lady Wranglers (24-1, 12-1 WJCAC) battled foul trouble most of the contest. OC was whistled for 32 fouls in the game with four starters — Mariah McCully, Chinna Fair, Leticia Soares and Moa Lundqvist — fouling out.

Soares, Fair and Lundqvist were forced to sit for most of the first half, but the Lady Wranglers reserves kept them within striking distance by trimming a 15-point second quarter deficit to 30-27 by halftime.

"I think we have to give them credit. They guarded us well," Baten said.

But for every run OC went on, the Lady Chaparrals had an answer.

OC made a final push in the fourth quarter, cutting a double digit lead in the four quarter to just two points with a 3-pointer by LaLa Robinson with 1:15 left to play.

That was as close as the Lady Wranglers would come however as a last ditch 3-point attempt for OC in the final 10 seconds turned into six free throws for Midland.

Fair was called for a flagrant foul on the follow through after the referee said she grabbed the head of Midland's Alexis Washington and drove it into her knee. Fair received a technical foul for arguing the call, and Baten was ejected soon after for doing the same.

The Lady Chaparrals used the free throws to push the advantage to nine and seal the win.

Midland College enjoyed a 47-18 advantage in free throw attempts, while OC was whistled for 32 fouls compared to 20 for Midland.

The Lady Chaparrals (17-9, 8-6) bench led the scoring punch with Tae'lor Hodge and A'Nyah Whittington totaling 13 points apiece.

McCully topped the Lady Wranglers with 17 points, while Soares added 11 and Shannon Dozier chipped in 10 more.

OC had its usual edge in the rebounding department 48-38, including 19 on the offensive glass.

Outside of the struggles on the glass, Midland head coach Ron Jones was satisfied with his team's effort on the defensive end.

"We have a great rivalry with Odessa and they've proven they're the No. 1 team in the country this year," Jones said. "They've earned that ranking and we're just glad we came in here and did a good job defensively and had an opportunity to win."

OC shot just 36 percent from the field, compared to 46 percent from Midland.

OC already has the WJCAC title and No. 1 seed in the Region V tournament locked up and will close out its regular season on Thursday at Frank Phillips College.

"We've got to get right mentally and get right physically," Baten said. "It's the end of the season. It's time."

Midland College's regular season is over and it will be the No. 3 seed out of the WJCAC.

Article by Joshua Perry OA