ALVA, Okla. – Cold shooting in the second half slows Henderson State in a 64-55 defeat to No. 12 Northwestern Oklahoma State inside the Peaceful Field House.
 
After opening the game, shooting 39.3 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from beyond the arc in the first half, HSU (8-6, 4-4) converted just 6-of-30 across the final two periods.

Ashley Farrar recorded a team-high 22 points on 50.0 percent shooting from the floor and deep, with four rebounds and two blocks. Tori Gittens and Natalie Cardenas combined for 17 points, while Bobbi Bazzle and Makenna Winans each had six rebounds.   
 
Farrar had the hot hand in the first period, providing HSU with its first eight points after making back-to-back three-pointers. The Reddies continued to attack the perimeter, as Gittens made her first triple to give Henderson an 11-6 lead at the first media break with 4:50 left in the period. HSU closed out the final three minutes on a 10-0 run, featuring five points from JJ Eddens and five by Farrar to lead 20-8.
 
The Reddies cooled off in the second quarter with five scoreless possessions, allowing the Lady Rangers to close the gap on a 6-0 run to 22-17 halfway through the quarter. HSU got the scoring going again with three-pointers from Cardenas and Gittens to stretch the lead to 28-19. Northwestern finished off a strong quarter on a 6-2 run to trim Henderson's advantage to 30-26 at halftime.
 
The two sides traded early baskets in the first three minutes of the third period, with HSU in front 36-30. Winans converted two shots at the free-throw line to extend the scoring for the Reddies and keep it a six-point contest with 4:37 remaining. Back-to-back layups by the Lady Rangers made it a two-point game, but the Reddies replied with a layup by Winans to lead 41-38 at the end of the third.
 
Henderson opened the fourth period with Farrar knocking down her third three-pointer in the opening seconds of the final period to make it an eight-point game. From there, NWOSU took control on a 9-0 run to take its second lead of the game, 45-44. Moments later, the Lady Rangers would extend their advantage to double-digits after a 12-0 burst stretched their lead to 57-46. 

HSU battled back to make it a six-point game after Jadah Pickens and Farrar converted a combined five shots at the free-throw line to make it 60-54. Two late NWOSU layups would be the difference makers in the final minute of the contest, as Henderson fell 64-55. 
 
Henderson State (8-6, 4-4) returns to the Duke Wells Center on Thursday, Jan. 18 at 5:30 p.m. to host Southeastern Oklahoma State.