FRANKFORT, Ky. – Oklahoma City escaped its second-straight nail bitter of a game Saturday, holding off No. 1 seed Campbellsville (Ky.), 79-76, in game two of the 34th annual NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball Championships quarterfinals at the Frankfort Convention Center.

The second-seeded OCU Stars (25-4) advance to their 12th NAIA Fab Four in program history and will play either John Brown (Ark.) or Loyola (La.) in the semifinals Monday night at 6 p.m. EDT.

OCU and Campbellsville traded leads 17 times in the game, the second most of the tournament thus far to OCU’s second round win over Montana State University Northern, which saw 20 changes.

“This was such a great game. It with back-and-forth with a very good team. I’m so proud of our young ladies and their fight. They handled the adversity and we talked about that going into this game,” Stars head coach Latricia Trammell said. “It’s an amazing experience to see them be so successful, especially with seven new players and only three returners. This says a lot about their toughness.”

Oklahoma City built its lead to as many as five points four times in the first half before stretching its margin to seven points, 45-38, with a minute left in the half on a basket by Autumn Huffman. Campbellsville cut the lead to two at the half, 45-43, after an and-one play by Daizah Kimberland.

Senior Cara Pugh paced the Stars through the first half with 21 points, including four 3-pointers, and went on to score a career-high 27 points for the Stars.

OCU held off Campbellsville late in the second half. After CU senior Ellen Sholtes tied the game, 68-68, with seven minutes to play, Sholtes gave CU a quick two-point lead, but Yvonte Neal hit a 3 with 3:30 remaining to regain the lead for the Stars and OCU held on from there. Sholtes finished with 21 points, one shy of her career-high, to lead Campbellsville.

The Lady Tigers cut the score down to a point twice in the final two minutes, but Kayla MacKenzie hit 2-of-4 free throws in the final 30 seconds for the win. Campbellsville had a chance to take the lead after MacKenzie missed the back end of her first trip to the line, but Lady Tiger senior Katie Allen turned the ball over, her only turnover of the game, sending MacKenzie back to the line. Allen’s 3 was off the mark to end the game.

Both teams had four players score in double-figures. For OCU, Neal followed Pugh with 19 points, MacKenzie had 13 and Huffman finished with 10. Allen and Caroline Owen each scored 13 and Kimberland finished with 11 to follow Sholtes’ lead for Campbellsville.  Allen also tied her postseason career-high with six assists.

Huffman led all players with 11 rebounds.

Campbellsville (32-4) finishes its season one win shy of tying its single-season record for wins and falls to the Stars for the seventh-straight time in program history, including three NAIA quarterfinals (2000, 2010, 2014). Campbellsville won both the Mid-South Conference regular season and tournament championships and leads all current NAIA teams with 22 national tournament appearances.