EDMOND, Okla. -- The Northwest Missouri State women's basketball team (10-12, 3-9 MIAA) couldn't overcome its shooting struggles from the floor, dropping a 61-44 road contest to Central Oklahoma at Hamilton Fieldhouse.
 
Northwest shot its lowest shooting percentage of the season at 24.5% (14-of-57) from the floor, as well as from three-point range (2-of-17) in tonight's contest. 
 
The Bearcats dropped their first game of the season when out rebounding the opposition (36-to-33) – previously 8-0. 
 
Senior Kelsey Fields tallied her 14th career double-double, despite finding early foul trouble. Fields totaled 13 points and 10 rebounds. Graduate guard Molly Hartnett scored all her points at the charity stripe going 8-for-8 but was held without a field goal for only the fifth time in her collegiate career. Hartnett tallied a team-high three assists. 
 
Central Oklahoma (6-16, 5-8 MIAA) forced Northwest into 12 turnovers, converting on 49% (25-of-51) of its shots. 
 
Fields began the contest scoring Northwest's first five points in the first five minutes, while also securing three boards. After a slow start from both teams, buckets were traded through the rest of the quarter. The Bearcats ended the first quarter shooting 4-of-10 from the floor, while knocking in 5-of-6 shots from the free-throw line to lead 13-11. UCO was held to 5-of-15 shooting and converted on its only attempt from the charity stripe. 
 
UCO opened the second quarter with a 7-0 run before junior Lindsey Kelderman sank the Bearcats' first triple of the night. UCO's Talia Pogi made a three just before the media timeout to put the Bronchos ahead 25-20 with 4:47 to play in the half with a pair of free-throws to come. Sophomore guard Laini Joseph saw action for the first time since Jan. 18 with about two minutes to spare in the first half. Despite being whistled for three early fouls, Fields ended the half with nine points and nine boards. Hartnett was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line to be Northwest's second-leading scorer, adding three assists, two rebounds and a steal. Without Northwest's leading scorer Caely Kesten on the floor tonight, the Bearcats trailed 32-26 at the break, shooting just 8-of-22 from the field and 1-of-6 from long-range. UCO forced seven Northwest turnovers in the first half.

Fields tallied her 14th career double-double with a bucket at the 7:05 mark in the third. Junior Ella Moody checked in for the first time in the game, drawing a foul to send her to the line for two after the media timeout, as the Bearcats trailed 41-32. A 19-point quarter for UCO gave them a 51-39 advantage after three quarters, as Northwest battled foul trouble with both Sadie Maas and Fields having four fouls a piece. 
 
The Bearcats were held scoreless for nearly seven minutes of action before junior Kendall Clatt found her first points with a three-pointer to make it 55-42 in UCO's favor. The Bronchos continued to make plays on the defensive end as they would claim a 61-44 win in Edmond. 
 
UCO halted Northwest's five-game winning streak at the Hamilton Fieldhouse. 
 
UP NEXT
Northwest wraps up its two-game road trip in Oklahoma with a 1:30 p.m. matchup against Rogers State at the Claremore Expo Center in Claremore, Okla.