Season opener sees UHSP fall to Oakland City

OWENSBORO, KY – The University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy Eutectics opened their 2024-25 season at the Brescia Classic against Oakland City. The team is under new leadership this season as new head coach Markell Cox made his program debut. Coach Cox and the Eutectics will still be looking for win number one of the season in game two as Oakland City took care of UHSP on Friday night, 94-58 at the Moore Center Gym.

Oakland City showed up to play and sprinted out to an 11-0 lead holding the Eutectics scoreless for better than the first three minutes until Alina Bowden finally got the Purple and Gold on the board with a layup. The Mighty Oaks scored the next seven straight until Montasia McCallister connected from three to make it a 19-5 game as it became evident the Eutectics would be playing catch-up most of the night. OCU would lead 34-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Karsyn Morgan started to get rolling in the second as she hit a much needed three pointer after missing two earlier to cut the score to 41-17 early in the second quarter. She would score 11 of the team's 18 points in the period and would finish as the club's leading scorer with 19 points on 8-of-16 shooting for the game. She was the lone Eutectic in double-digits. Morgan would cap the half with another triple, but the hole was nearly two dozen as Oakland City led 53-30 at the half.

In the third quarter, the Oaks opened the quarter on a 12-4 run as they built a 30-point lead at 65-34. Arianna Buduan would cap the quarter with a layup to make it 72-43 after three. Oakland City would go on to win it, 94-58.

For the game, OCU shot 48.5% to UHSP's 40.7%, but the Mighty Oaks got off 24 more shots than the Eutectics. One of the biggest numbers in the game was in the turnover category as UHSP turned it over 28 times, which matched their highest turnover number in a game last season. OCU turned it over 12 times. The Oaks got to the free throw line 36 times making 21 (58.3%) while UHSP was 9-for-14 at the stripe (64.3%). OCU outrebounded the Eutectics 42-36.

Courtney Dove had an incredible night for OCU with a game-high 25 points, but went 11-of-12 from the floor. She was one of five Oaks in double digits followed by Emilee Hope who had 16. Arianna Buduan finished with seven points while Reece Halley and Allison Sampson each had six. Morgan would finish just shy of a double-double with nine rebounds to go along with those 19 points.

The Eutectics (0-1) continue their stay in the Bluegrass State and play the host club of the season opening tournament, the Brescia Bearcats on Saturday evening at 5:30pm. Brescia (1-0) held off Cumberland on Friday night to begin their season with a 68-58 win.