STERLING, Kan. - Odessa Ozuna is just a freshman, but on Wednesday night against Sterling, she played like a veteran.
Getting her first start of the season as KWU was without senior guard LaMyah Ricks for the game, Ozuna poured in a game-high and career-best 26 points as the Coyotes won a double overtime thriller 99-94 over the Warriors at the Gleason Center.
The victory was the third straight for the Coyotes, who snapped a four-game losing streak to Sterling and the first win in the Gleason Center in the last six tries (1-5 record). KWU's last win in Sterling came on January 18, 2020, nearly four years to the day.
"We made plays when we had to," Wesleyan head coach Ryan Showman said. "Even when it seemed like we had things in control in regulation and they came back, there was no defeat, there was no panic. It was next play, next play, next play. I am so proud of our team and their effort tonight."
Ozuna scored 12 of her 26 points in the two overtime periods, opening both extra sessions by nailing a 3-pointer that gave the Coyotes the lead each time.
The Coyotes had an eight-point lead heading into the final minute of regulation but couldn't hang on as Sterling hit eight free throws during its 8-0 run to tie the game and send it to extra time.
Catherine Bowman had a chance to win it in regulation time for the Coyotes, but her shot as time ran out rimmed off.
Ozuna's triple to open the first overtime put the Coyotes up 75-72, but the Warriors came back and took a 79-77 lead on a bucket by Bailey Young with 2:39 left.
"She certainly made some plays for us," Showman said about Ozuna. "That was another player in the fourth quarter could have hung her head, and we would have lost in overtime, but again it was next play, next play, next play, and man she stepped up when we needed her."
Fellow Coyote freshman Brooke Strine tied it with a rebound and stick back of a miss with 1:55 left to tie things up. Sterling took a brief lead at 81-79 with 53 seconds left, but Ozuna calmly knocked down two free throws with 25.4 seconds left to tie it again.
Sterling had a chance at a game-winner but missed forcing another extra session.
Again Ozuna buried a 3 to open the second overtime period, and then hit a pair of free throws to give the Coyotes an 86-82 lead with 4:03 to go.
Free throws from Jill Stephens pushed Wesleyan's lead out to five with 3:20 to go, and Stephens buried a 3-pointer on an assist by Ozuna to push Wesleyan's lead out to 91-85 with 2:25 to go.
More free throws by Stephens with 2:01 to go put the Coyotes up seven at 93-86, and Kourtney Kaufman's free throw with 1:25 left put the Coyotes up 96-88 and Wesleyan's defense stepped up from there, keeping Sterling from making a run.
Stephens hit three free throws in the final minute to seal the win for the Coyotes.
The start of the game was back and forth between the teams as neither team led by more than three points in the first 10 minutes as KWU held a 22-19 advantage after a quarter on a bucket by Daijane Adams.
Sterling scored the first eight points of the second quarter to take a 27-22 lead and pushed their lead out to 35-25 with 4:11 to go in the half, but the Coyotes pushed back. A three by Adams started a 9-0 Coyote run that ended the half and got KWU back within a point on a bucket by Angel Lee with 53 seconds left.
Sterling took a 39-34 lead with 7:52 left in the third, but the Coyotes answered back on a three by Stephens and another by Ozuna to take a 40-39 lead with 6:50 left.
Lee tied the game at 43-all with 4:35 left, before Kaufman entered and buried a triple to put the Coyotes up 46-43.
The Coyotes were up four with 1:22 left when Kaufman hit back-to-back triples to take a 57-49 lead.
"She was huge for us when we needed a spark," Showman said of Kaufman. "We knew in Sterling's zone there was going to be some opportunities for her and we had a fairly good idea of what they were going to do, so we were able to put our players in the position to make plays and they did."
Wesleyan led 64-57 with 6:06 left in the fourth but a run by Sterling cut the difference to 66-64 with 3:51 to go.
Three straight free throws by Angel Lee made it 69-64 with 2:23 to go and a three by Stephens and Ozuna's free throw put the Coyotes up eight before Sterling made their late run.
The Coyotes held Sterling to 20 percent shooting in the fourth quarter from the field, but the Warriors were 14 of 18 from the line in the period.
Stephens also had a huge game for the Coyotes with 24 points, but was outstanding on the defensive end, limiting Sterling's top scorer Korynn Clason to just 6 of 20 shooting from the field, but needed to go to the line 16 times to earn her 25 points.
Showman was pleased with Stephens' effort against Clason.
"Jill really stepped up to the task. Clason is such a great player for them," Showman said. "Jill wanted to defend her and I think she was on her most of the game, and she stepped up to the challenge and made Clason shoot a lot of times to get her points."
Wesleyan finished 29 of 77 from the field of 37.7 percent in the game, but knocked down 15 of 28 3-pointers, the most in a game since 2020 when KWU hit 13 against Southwestern. KWU was also 26 of 24 from the free throw line, 14 of the tries coming in the second overtime period.
The Coyotes take on Oklahoma Wesleyan on Saturday at 6 p.m. inside Mabee Arena. OKWU was defeated by Friends 78-50 on Wednesday in Bartlesville.