By: Sam Knehans, Communications & Sports Information Intern

FRANKFORT, Ky.  – (Box Score) In the first game of NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship day two action, No. 7 Shawnee State (Ohio) upset No. 2 Oklahoma Baptist, 94-91. The Bears outlasted the Bison in overtime, led by senior guard Alannah Sheets, who scored 45 points.

Mid-South Conference Player of the Year Sheets’ 45 points tied her career-high and also tied for the second-best single-game performance in an NAIA national championship first round with Annette Wiles of former member Fort Hayes State (Kan.) in 1991. Sheets scored the most first round points since Sheena Bowling of former member Montevallo (Ala.) netted 51 against Claflin (S.C.) in 1993.

Sheets also surpassed the previous Shawnee State single-game national championship record of 37 points by Vernita Provitt in 1996, while fellow senior guard Priscila Santos added 28 points, the second-most in the contest. 

Jalissa Council led the way for Oklahoma Baptist with 21 points. Overall, seven players reached double-figures in scoring in the overtime game.

Shawnee State led for the majority of the contest, after kicking off the game with an 8-0 run. The Bison took their first lead of the game on an Elisabeth Daniels 3-pointer with 9:07 to go in regulation. The back-and-forth battle continued through the end of regulation with Oklahoma Baptist senior guard Allie Brandenburg missing a last-second 3-point attempt that would have give the Bison the win in buzzer-beating fashion.

There were several more lead changes in overtime, before the Bears took the lead for good with 1:46 remaining. Shawnee State shot a remarkable 55.6 percent from 3-point range (5-of-9) and 53.3 percent from the field (32-of-60) in the game, while Oklahoma Baptist was 30.0 percent from beyond the arc (9-of-30) and 43.2 percent from the field (32-of-74).

The Bears (20-12), who have advanced to the second round for five-straight years, will face the winner of No. 3 Wiley (Texas) and No. 6 Mobile (Ala.) at 4:30 p.m. EDT Friday. This year’s Shawnee State seniors are the eighth class in program history to go 4-0 in first round games (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2012, 2013).

With the loss, Oklahoma Baptist is eliminated in the first round of the national championship for the first time since 2008, when the Bison lost to another No. 7 seed from the Mid-South Conference, Lindsey Wilson (Ky.).  The Bison end their season with a 28-6 record.