Braves Pull Away from Eagles in Second Half

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - After a very well-played first half that finished with the Eagles trailing by just two points, Ottawa (16-10, 2-8 KCAC) kept up in the offense in the second half while Avila (5-20, 5-14 KCAC) was not able to find its rhythm again, allowing the Braves to pull away for a 79-52 victory in Mabee Fieldhouse on Wednesday night.

Ottawa has been a vastly improved team this year compared to recent seasons, and this victory all but assured the Braves of a spot in the KCAC Tournament later this month. But the Eagles, after getting shut down by the Braves throughout when these teams matched up last semester, did not make things easy on their local rivals this time around.

Ottawa led by just one point (21-20) after the first quarter and extended that lead to just two points after the second (41-39). With that strong first half, the Eagles scored more points than they did in their entire first matchup against the Braves. Unfortunately, they would not go on to score many more points in this second matchup: Avila managed just five field goals and 13 points – including only three in the fourth quarter – over the final 20 minutes, allowing the Braves to pick up the win.

Nicole Brown continued her breakout season for the Braves, dominating the interior with a game-high 21 points and 12 rebounds. Cierra Brown added 13 points, and Hailey Henry scored 12. The Eagles' top performers tended to score in bunches: Hannah Smith led the way with 15 points, 10 of which came in the first quarter; Emily Baldwin scored 12, 10 of which came in the second quarter; Kayla Navy scored 10 off the bench; and Kaytee Frasher provided Avila's only points in the fourth quarter and finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Up next, Avila women's basketball will take on their other local rival, Saint Mary, this Saturday in Leavenworth. JV men's basketball gets the tripleheader started at 2:45 PM, with women's varsity to follow at 5 PM and men's varsity at 7. As always, you can watch all the action on the KCAC Network.