Tuesday, Dec. 30
UALR Dominates Cajuns to Open SBC Play
LITTLE ROCK – The UALR women’s basketball team opened conference play in impressive style, defeating Louisiana 67-41 at the Jack Stephens Center on Tuesday night.
The Trojans trailed 7-2 in the early going but completely dominated the game after that with a stifling defense that allowed the Ragin’ Cajuns to shoot just 25 percent from the field. On the other side, UALR had a great shooting performance, finishing the game 26 of 51 from the field (51 percent).
In a matchup between the teams with the best record in pre-conference play, UALR (8-2, 1-0 Sun Belt Conference) handed Louisiana (8-2, 0-1) just its second loss of the season. The Trojans have now won fourth in a row against the Ragin’ Cajuns and have won four consecutive Sun Belt regular-season games.
Despite not playing a game since Dec. 21 at Tulsa, the Trojans’ 26-point victory was its largest of the season, and the team’s 28-point lead in the second half was also its largest at any point this year.
“I was just a bit concerned because of the [nine-day] layoff,” Coach Joe Foley said. “If you have a layoff for that many days, you don’t know if you’re going to shoot the ball well. I thought we did a good job from a layoff getting into the offense and getting some easy baskets.”
UALR was very balanced on offense, getting a team-high 13 points from Kaitlyn Pratt but seeing three other players score at least 11 points. Shanity James earned her first double-double of the year (UALR’s third as a team) with 12 points and a season-high 13 rebounds, moving to sixth all-time at UALR in career offensive rebounds in the process. Taylor Gault also had 11 points – all in the first half – and Alexius Dawn added 12 of her own. Nine of the 10 Trojans who played scored at least 2 points.
The team’s rebounding total was impressive as a whole. The Trojans picked up 47 total rebounds to top its previous single-game best this year by seven, and they only allowed Louisiana to grab 28 boards. UALR assisted on 13 of its baskets and also had 34 points in the paint to the Cajuns’ 12.
UALR was also explosive on the fast break, recording six fast-break layups for 12 points while Louisiana did not pick up a single fast-break point.
The Trojans’ 41 points allowed was its second-best defensive effort of the season after Rice scored only 40 on Nov. 22. Louisiana had never scored fewer than 51 points in a game this season, and the Cajuns had only been held under 60 points three times. Cajuns’ guard Keke Veal, who was averaging 12.4 points per game entering Tuesday, was held to just five points on 1-of-13 shooting.
“She can get numbers on her end,” Foley said of Veal. “That’s where I thought we won the game. I thought Gault and [Ka’Nesheia] Cobbins’ defense on Veal and [Kia Wilridge] was pretty phenomenal. Those two can score a lot of points…and I was surprised that we did that good a job on them.”
After winning the opening tip for just the third time this year, UALR got its offense going fast on a Keanna Keys jumper. But the Cajuns caught fire after that, scoring the next 7 points on a 3-pointer, a post move and a long 2-pointer. That would be the last time Louisiana held a lead all night.
UALR upped its defense after that with two steals and got fast-break layups from Cobbins and Dawn as part of an 8-0 run that took the team into the first media timeout with a 10-7 lead.
That 8-0 run eventually extended itself to 12-0, giving UALR a 14-7 advantage. The Trojans’ lead grew as high as 10 at 19-9 when Gault hit a 3-pointer from the left corner. UALR kept its 10-point lead as the third media timeout of the half approached on a Kiera Clark jumper, but the Cajuns cut it to single digits at 23-15 just before the under-8 timeout.
That’s when Gault started to catch fire. With just 5 points to her name at that moment, she scored 6 more in the next four minutes to help extend the Trojans’ lead to 31-17 with four minutes to play in the period. The team’s advantage only grew in the final four minutes with 5 points from Keys and a Pratt jumper making it 37-20 at halftime, and UALR led by as many as 20 points just seconds before the halftime buzzer.
The real story of the first half, though, was UALR’s defense. The Trojans held the Cajuns to just 7-of-26 shooting (26.9 percent) through 20 minutes of action and out-rebounded Louisiana 25-14. UALR also got three steals and had seven assists on its 17 baskets. James was the team’s leading rebounder at the break with six boards.
The second half saw UALR maintain and grow its double-digit lead the entire way. The Trojans led by 15 points at the first media timeout and 17 points at the second media timeout. Later in the half, the lead ballooned as high as 28 points with 2:07 left on the clock. The Cajuns never threatened after the first four minutes.
Besides her double-double, James also added two blocks to move up to 10th all-time at UALR in that category. Keys finished second on the Trojans’ roster with nine rebounds, and three different players (Gault, Clark and Ka'Nesheia Cobbins) all tied for the team lead with three assists. Dawn and Cobbins had two steals apiece to top the Trojans.
Sun Belt Conference play continues for UALR on Saturday when the team travels to Atlanta to take on Georgia State. The Trojans and Panthers are set for an 11 a.m. tipoff.
A-State Holds Off Jaguars for Conference Win
Mobile, Ala. (12/30/14) – Arkansas State erased a 13 point halftime deficit and battled back to defeat South Alabama 62-50 in its Sun Belt Conference women’s basketball opener Tuesday night at the Mitchell Center.
A-State (6-5, 1-0 SBC) trailed 35-22 after the first 20 minutes, but outscored the Jaguars 40-15 in the second half to earn the comeback victory. Aundrea Gamble scored a game-high 19 points, 17 of which came in the second half. Hanna Qedan added 12 points and Jamie Ruffins tied a career-high with 10.
“In the first half we were just not very good and they were just more aggressive on the boards and had more hustle than us,” A-State head coach Brian Boyer said. “The second half was great and we were able to get the turnover number separated and at one point they had only scored five points and that just shows you how good that defense was for us.”
A-State scored the first seven points of the second half to narrow the deficit to 35-29 before three minutes had ticked off the clock. The Red Wolves got within 36-31 with 14:43 to go and tied the game after a steal by Khadija Brown-Haywood who tossed it ahead to Ruffins for an easy basket with 11:15 left.
The Red Wolves took the lead for good on their next trip down the court on a 3-pointer by Gamble and pushed the lead to 50-40 with just under eight minutes to go. A-State outscored the Jaguars 28-5 over 12-plus minute span and held South Alabama (3-7, 0-1 SBC) to just 3-of-16 (18.6 percent) from the field in the half.
A-State was able to get back into the game through solid defense that it was able to transition into good looks on the offensive end. The Jaguars turned the ball over 26 times, 18 in the second half, which the Red Wolves were able to convert into 28 points. On the offensive side the Red Wolves turned the ball over just eight times in the final 20 minutes and went 11-of-22 (50 percent) from the field to go along with a 16-of-22 (72.7 percent) effort from the free throw line.
“At halftime it wasn’t a basketball issue as much as it was that we were just getting beat to a lot of loose balls and on the boards,” Boyer said. “In the second half we were able to extend our defense better and defend throughout the entire shot clock and that led to us hitting some shots to get back into the game.”
Gamble and Qedan spearheaded the A-State effort, particularly down the stretch with timely rebounds and clutch free throw shooting. Gamble was held scoreless for the first 16-plus minutes before she finally hit a shot at the 3:21 mark of the first half, but the Sun Belt Conference Preseason Player of the Year exploded in the second half with a solid effort on both ends of the floor. Qedan scored 10 of her 12 points in the second half and hit a pair of free throws with 31 seconds to go to help seal the victory.
Arkansas State struggled offensively in the first half and finished just 8-of-26 (30.8 percent) from the field, while the Jaguars shot a blistering 48.5 percent (16-of-33) and also knocked down a pair of 3-pointers.
Chyna Ellis did most of the damage for the Jaguars and finished with 14 first half points and also grabbed eight of the Jaguars’ 25 rebounds. Ellis found space underneath the basket and was 7-of-10 from the field to help the Jaguars build a double-digit lead.
A-State trailed 21-18 with 6:38 to go in the half, but South Alabama went on an 8-0 run to push its lead to 11 points with just over four minutes remaining. Qedan stopped the run with a running jumper in the paint and Gamble scored her first points of the half with 3:21 to go, but South Alabama scored the final six points of the half to take a 35-22 advantage into the break.
Ellis led South Alabama with 17 points and 13 rebounds, while Breanna Hall added 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting.
Tuesday’s victory was the third straight victory in SBC openers for the Red Wolves, all of which have come on the road. It also marked the 21st consecutive game that Gamble has scored in double figures against a SBC opponent.
Arkansas State returns home for its Sun Belt Conference opener Jan. 3 against Appalachian State. The game is set for a 3:05 p.m. tip and can be heard live on 95.3FM The Ticket/970AM KNEA or online at AStateRedWolves.com.
Georgia State Knocks Off ULM
ATLANTA - With four players scoring in double figures, Georgia State produced a 80-72 win over the University of Louisiana at Monroe Tuesday evening in the GSU Sports Arena.
The Sun Belt opener included 12 lead changes and seven ties. Georgia State's advantages were a 49-33 rebound lead with 22 offensive rebounds and hitting 82.8 percent of its free throws (24 of 29). ULM countered with 10 of 24 3-point baskets to keep the game within reach.
Senior six-foot-four center Brittany Logan had a fourth consecutive double-double game with 16 rebounds and 15 points. Freshman guard Makeba Ponder led with 20 points and four 3-point baskets. Senior guard Kayla Nolan produced a double-double with 11 rebounds and 10 points. Senior guard Ashley Watson added 11 points with 9 of 10 free throws.
Leading 39-36 at halftime, host GSU (6-4, 1-0) built a double-digit lead of 53-43 at 15:18 and were up by 12 points at 58-46 with 14:17 as it looked like the Panthers might pull away. But, ULM (4-6, 0-1) went on a 10-0 run with a pair of treys and it was back to 58-56 with 8:30.
GSU came back to make it 65-56 at 6:54 and were cruising at 67-60 with just 4:23. Once again, ULM surged back as Logan fouled out at 2:04 and it was a 71-70 game at 1:28 after ULM's 10 3-pointer. Ashley Watson's two free throws at 1:01 made it 73-70 and a ULM turnover led to two more free throws by Alisha Andrews at 47.6 to up it to 75-70 as the Panthers headed for the win.
"Yes, it feels good to win this Sun Belt opener and this was a really tough and hard-fought game," coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener said."We didn't expect ULM to shoot the 3's so well and that made it real tough with their excellent post player. We worked hard on both ends of the court and found a way to win as lots of folks made plenty of contributions.
"Brittany Logan was aggressive and a key tonight, while Makeba Ponder started off hot and plays with confidence to balance the offense. Kayla Nolan made some key plays and had a double-double effort. And, we made the free throws that you need to make to win."
The Panthers return to action Saturday at noon at the Sports Arena when they play host to UALR (8-2).
Williams Leads UTA to Win in SBC Opener
ARLINGTON, Texas - A career-high 19 points from senior Chaun Williams helped UT Arlington win its Sun Belt Conference opener, 64-52, against Georgia Southern on Tuesday at College Park Center.
The Lady Mavericks (7-3, 1-0) won their fourth consecutive game had three score in double digits. UTA used a late rally to help pull away from the Eagles (3-7, 0-1). The Lady Mavericks turned the Eagles over on four consecutive possessions to break a 45-45-tie with under eight minutes to go, outscoring Georgia Southern 19-7 to close the game out.
"It was a great win for our program to start conference play off," UT Arlington coach Gerlich said. "We wanted to start off with a 'W' and it was hard fought. We had some people that stepped up and shot the ball well late. We had a lot of bright spots and a lot to build on for the future."
Joining Williams with double-digit points, LaShanda Green scored 11 and Amara Wainwright had 10. On the defensive end, UTA forced the Eagles into 19 turnovers overall and freshman Rebekah Van Dijk was a force inside. Van Dijk picked up a game-high 14 rebounds, 10 coming on the defensive end to go with her eight points.
The Lady Mavericks continue SBC action on Saturday as they welcome South Alabama to College Park Center at 5 p.m.
A back-and-forth opening half left the Lady Mavs with a four-point advantage at halftime. Georgia Southern opened the game on a 7-0 run as UTA's offense struggled to the bucket early. However, it would be all UTA for the next 10 minutes with UTA going on run to send UTA to a double-digit lead. Williams knocked down two of her three 3-pointers overall in the half and led all scorers with 10 points. UTA went into the break up 29-25.
UTA's bench was a spark for the second half and Wainwright knocked down an early shot from beyond the arc to respond from the early run by the Eagles.
Williams and Wainwright combined for 14 of UTA's 35 points in the second and the Lady Mavs' bench held a 21-8 advantage in the half, 42-11 overall.
"We were all in rhythm and moving the ball," Williams said. "At one point in time we were all trying to do it by ourselves and then we came together and were passing it as a team and we made it happen."
UTA, entering the game with the fourth-ranked scoring defense in the nation, held the Eagles to just 34.5 shooting.
Bobcats Pick Up Conference Opening Win over Troy
TROY, Ala. – With the ability to hold on to its lead and never relinquish it down the stretch, the Texas State women's basketball team opened the 2014-15 Sun Belt Conference season with a 74-72 victory over Troy Tuesday evening. Texas State was led by junior guard Erin Peoples in her first game in several weeks with 17 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, and a pair of blocks and steals.
The Bobcats improve to 6-4 overall and 1-0 in Sun Belt Conference play.
Peoples' double-double was the third of the season and ninth of her career. Junior center Kileah Mays also played a key role for the Bobcats after snagging a season-high 13 rebounds.
The Bobcats got off to a fast start in the high-pace game, its first five baskets and its first three free throws for an early 16-9 lead over the Trojans.
The hot shooting continued for junior guard Ayriel Anderson, as she nailed all three of her three-point attempts in the first half. In the first, Texas State finished shooting 45.7 percent from the floor and 40.0 percent from long range. In addition to Anderson's 11 points, Peoples also recorded 11 points for a team-high.
With a two-point lead out of intermission, the Bobcats used an 11-5 run to propel themselves to an eight-point, 52-44 lead.
The squads proceeded to exchange possessions before Troy came within one of Texas State with 6:34 left on the clock. A lay-up by Ericka May with 5:27 left in the game put the Bobcats back up three.
A three-pointer at the top of the key with 1:19 remaining on the clock by Jacqueline Jeffcoat was one of many important shots in the final moments as it put Texas State back up by two possessions.
The Trojans then rattled off a 4-0 run to come within one for the third time in the contest, but a pair of free throws by Meghan Braeuer with nine seconds remaining put the Bobcats back up three.
Down three with four seconds remaining, Troy junior Ashley Beverly-Kelley went the line on a fouled three-pointer, but failed to convert all three shots in order for the Bobcats to maintain their lead.
Jeffcoat and Braeuer also added double-digit points for Texas State, scoring 11 each. Texas State finished the game with 47 rebounds compared to 46 by the Trojans. The Bobcat bench also outscored the Troy bench, 20-10.
Texas State will continue its road trip to begin the conference season as it travels to Georgia Southern on Jan. 3. Tip-off against the Sun Belt Conference newcomer is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. CT.
Appalachian State Earns Non-Conference Win Tuesday
BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University women's basketball defeated Catawba College on Tuesday night, winning with a score of 81-64.
KeKe Cooper led the team with 12 points as the Mountaineers (5-4) rolled past the Lady Indians (5-5, 2-3 South Atlantic) in the second half.
The first half was close as Catawba jumped out to a 12-10 lead with 14:22 to play. The Apps tied the game with a layup from Vernessa Hinnant and then pulled ahead, leading the Indians 19-16.
The Apps took their largest lead since the beginning of the game iwth a layup from Mia Marshall, making the score 27-23 at the 6:04 timing mark. Katelyn Doub ended the first half with a jumper for the Mountaineers as the Apps led Catawba 35-29 going into the half.
Cooper led App State with eight points in the first half, while Catawba's Bri Johnson and Chloe Bully each notched eight for the Indians.
Appalachian started the first half with an 8-4 run, pulling ahead 43-33 with 17:34 to play. The Mountaineers were able to maintain the ten-point lead, lengthening the lead to 15 points off a three-pointer from Doub at the 10:21 minute mark.
The Lady Indians scored 11 points in two minutes, but the Mountaineers were able to continue to find points as Farrahn Wood hit a shot from behind the arc, sparking an 8-2 run by the Mountaineers as they led 76-55 with 3:47 to play.
A three-pointer from Peggy Smith just under a minute was the icing on the cake for the Apps as they took the game 81-64.
Cooper was the leading scorer for the Apps, recording 12 points and six rebounds. Joi Jones followed with nine points and six assists, while Doub also notched nine points in the win. Maryah Sydnor led the team with eight rebounds.
The Mountaineers shot 53.8 percent from the floor in the game, recording 39 rebounds and 18 turnovers.
Catawba was led by Bri Johnson's 20 points as the team recorded a 36.4 field goal percentage. The Lady Indians had 37 rebounds and 19 turnovers.
The Mountaineers return to action on January 3 when they open Sun Belt play at Arkansas State at 4 p.m.