The Baker University women’s basketball team started the season by sweeping the Oklahoma Classic in Alva, Okla.

On Friday, Baker beat Northwest Oklahoma State 69-62, followed by a win against the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma 66-60 Saturday.

Senior Brooke Soske tore her ACL last week, changing the season before the team had played its first game.

“Everyone had to step up and play a bigger raole,” senior Emily Gibson said.

Senior Brittany Hines led the team against Northwest Oklahoma State with 23 points and was followed by Gibson with 14 points.

“Brittany Hines had a good game,” senior JaNeil Robinson said. “She really stepped it up for us.”

Robinson added nine points in the game.

Senior Aubree Gustin helped lead the team to a victory with 20 points in Saturday’s game. Also scoring in double digits was Gibson with 15 points, Hines with 13 and senior Audrey Bryant with 11.

Baker’s free throws helped to win the game, with the team going 26 for 32 from the charity stripe.

“JaNeil Robinson really did well with her free throws,” junior Brooke Sanders said. “They were good.”

Turnovers also played a part in the win Saturday.

“Our turnovers were definitely better in the second game,” Gibson said.

Sanders said the two wins to start the season gave the team confidence and were a result of the drive the team.

“We had determination to win the games,” Sanders said. “We didn’t lose the lead in one game, and we didn’t stop fighting to win when we didn’t have the lead in the other.”

The team made goals for the rest of the season, and the wins Friday and Saturday brought the team a step closer to reaching them.

“Our goal is to go 12-0 before Christmas,” Gibson said.

However, Baker lost to Friends University 77-67 on Wednesday night, bringing the team’s goal of having 12 wins before Christmas to a hault.

Gibson led the Wildcats with 16 points and eight rebounds, with Sanders and Hines adding 15 and nine points, respectively.

Gibson said the loss was a result of being unable to adapt to the pressure from Friends. Baker had 30 turnovers in the game.

“We couldn’t play our game because they forced so many turnovers,” Gibson said.

The Wildcats next opponents will be in the Park Classic in Parkville, Mo., Baker will play Ottawa University at 5 p.m. Friday and Park University at 3 p.m. Saturday.