Tweet #theGAC  SHAWNEE, Okla. – Three Southwestern Oklahoma State Lady Bulldogs - Macy Gore, Lauren Ramey Makyra Tramble – all registered 20-point games as the top-seeded Bulldogs defeated fourth-seeded Henderson State, 89-73, in the opening Great American Conference Women’s Basketball Championship semifinal from FireLake Arena.
 
Macy Gore paced the Lady Bulldogs (28-4) with a team-best 24. She went 3-for-5 from the 3-point arc. Lauren Ramey contributed 22 for her second 20-point game at the GAC Championships. GAC Player of the Year Makyra Tramble ended with 20.
 
The Lady Bulldogs, the Central Region's second-ranked squad, owned a 57-33 advantage on the glass. Their 25 offensive rebounds helped them to a 26-6 edge in second chance points.
 
Henderson State (18-12) received a game-high 31 points from Ashley Farrar. She made 10-of-16 shots including 4-of-6 from the 3-point arc. Jadah Pickens tallied 11 points before fouling out.
 
After falling short of the title game in both 2020 and 2021, the Lady Bulldogs return to the final of the GAC Championships for the sixth time in 11 years tying Arkansas Tech for the most finals appearances in league history.
 
They face Harding or Arkansas Tech in Sunday’s 3:30 p.m. final. The Lady Bulldogs handed the Golden Sun a pair of 30-point losses but suffered one their two GAC losses to the Lady Bisons, a 77-69 defeat in Searcy on January 22. SWOSU has twice defeated Harding in GAC title games – 2012 and 2014. After losing to Tech in the 2013 and 2016 finals, the Lady Bulldogs defeated the Golden Suns in the 2019 final.