Zach Anderson

In Jennifer Warkenthien’s first game of the season, the SDSU women’s basketball team lost its Summit League opener to Oral Roberts University, defending conference champions 67-57 on Dec. 8. In SDSU’s first ever match up with ORU, Warkenthien’s return was spoiled by 16 first-half turnovers that doomed the Jackrabbits.

Trailing by 14 with just over 10 minutes remaining, SDSU went on an 11-2 run that consisted of two Kristin Rotert three-pointers and another three-pointer from Ashlea Muckenhirn that pulled the Jacks within five at 48-43. SDSU only scored four more times due to a tough Golden Eagles defense.

The return of Warkenthien and Laura Nielsen was not enough, ORU’s Rachel Watman led a 15-7 run at the end of the first half to give ORU a 27-23 halftime lead.

The Golden Eagles (5-2, 1-0 conference) came out with a great intensity and the Jackrabbits didn’t respond. Oral Roberts is a very talented team with a lot of toughness and the Jacks were not ready for that.

The Jackrabbits (5-3, 0-1 conference) started out the second half with four more turnovers until Alison Anderson hit a three-pointer to cut the Golden Eagles lead to three with 16:23 remaining in the game. ORU then went on an 11-2 run that gave ORU its first double-digit lead of the game.

Maria Boever led the Jackrabbits with 15 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Rotert had 11 points; all of her baskets were in the second half. Warkenthien had only four points, all from the foul line, in her first game of the season after returning from a foot injury. She also had four assists. Nielsen, also returning from injury, was held to two points for the Jacks.

Four Golden Eagles scored in double figures. Watman, a native from Sydney, Australia, led the Golden Eagles with a career-high 21 points as well as career-best nine rebounds. She also had two assists. Jenny Hardin scored 19 points, including going five-of-five from the foul line. Mariana Camargo had 11 points with six assists, and Janae Voelker scored 10 points along with nine rebounds.

The Golden Eagles needed to have a good night statistically to get by the Jackrabbits; in the last three years, SDSU has done some amazing things.

SDSU finished the game with their highest turnover numbers of the season at 28. ORU finished with 15.