Second-Half Surge Leads UTA Past Louisiana
ARLINGTON, Texas - UTA women's basketball returned to College Park Center for the first time in 2017 and avenged its loss in the first round of the 2016 SBC Championship with a 79-66 victory over Louisiana Thursday night.
The Lady Mavericks improved to 12-4 overall and 5-1 in league play, while Louisiana dropped to 10-5 and 4-2. UTA snapped the Ragin' Cajuns' three-game win streak in the all-time series, though Louisiana still leads 13-6.
It was a team effort as four Mavericks scored in double figures. Cierra Johnson was one rebound shy of UTA's third triple-double in school history with 24 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds. Her 11 assists were a career-best and a tie for seventh in a single game. The performance raised the guard's assist total to 200, making her just the 11th player in history to do so. Her nine field goals tied her best.
Erick Mattingly had a career performance as she matched her 10 points and bested her record with eight steals, which tied for second in a single game in UTA history. Crystal Allen was clutch for the Lady Mavericks from long range with a 4-for-4 clip, leading to a career-high 14 points and five field goals. Rebekah VanDijk was one rebound shy of a double-double, and turned in 14 points and three blocks.
Louisiana senior guard Jaylyn Gordon, who leads the conference in points per game and 3-point shots per game, walked away with 23 points on 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc.
Once trailing by 15 in the second quarter, the Lady Mavericks returned from the break with a will to overcome and conquer. A clutch 3-pointer from Allen tied the ballgame at 56 midway through the fourth quarter, instilling an unrelenting energy for the remainder of the night. UTA would work up a late 10-0 run that included a streak of seven-straight shots.
The Lady Mavs sharpened their offensive prowess in the third frame as 3-pointers from Richards, Billie and Johnson lifted UTA to withing five to spark hopes of a comeback. The Lady Mavs opened the second half shooting 53.8 percent and connected on 4-of-7 shots from beyond the arc to close Louisiana's lead 50-46 and drain momentum. A 13-2 run capped by a 3 from Johnson brought the Lady Mavs within five. The junior was key in the run with a pair of 3s and took advantage of two shots at the charity stripe.
Mattingly hit the first shot of the night, but Louisiana came out firing from the floor and shot 64.3 percent with 2-of-3 3-pointers made to fuel an 8-0 run to take a 21-9 lead. VanDijk put up a layup to open the second quarter and UTA was 4-for-5 from the floor to spur a 7-2 that lessened the lead to 10 points, though Louisiana would control the lead at halftime 39-25.
KEY RUNS
First Half
The Ragin' Cajuns had the hot hand in the first quarter and an ending 8-0 run added to a 21-9 lead. Louisiana remained consistent in the second frame and connected on 6-of-7 from the field at one point to lead at the break.
Second Half
The Lady Mavericks outscored the Ragin' Cajuns 54-27 in the second half and limited Louisiana to just one 3-point shot, while UTA was 7-for-13 in that role. The Lady Mavs worked a 10-0 run, hitting seven straight shots attempted, late in the final frame to pad the lead.
KEY STATS
UTA shot 59.3 percent in the second half to Louisiana's 35.7, including 53.8 percent from 3-point range (7-13). On the defensive side of the ball, the Ragin' Cajuns won the battle of the boards 31-28, but the Lady Mavericks registered four more steals and two more blocks. UTA also forced 21 turnovers to its own 10, making it the 12th game in the last 13 to force 20+.
A-State Women’s Basketball Holds Off South Alabama
JONESBORO, Ark. (1/19/16) – The Arkansas State women’s basketball team held a 50-34 lead at the end of the third quarter and held off South Alabama to win 56-53 Thursday night at the Convocation Center.
With the win, A-State improves to 2-4 in league play and 4-14 on the season. South Alabama drops to 7-10 overall and 2-4 in Sun Belt action.
Tahlon Hopkins had a career high 20 points and 14 rebounds for her third career double-double. Hopkins knocked down two free throws with 10 seconds left to seal the victory. Dominique Oliver had 13 points and tied her career best with seven assists while Brittany Fowler also reached double figures 10 points. Genesis Perrymond led South Alabama with 16 points.
How It Happened (First Half):
A-State scored the first seven points of the game and opened up a 9-2 lead just 4:50 into the action. The Jaguars scored the next six points, but the Red Wolves hit 10-straight shots to break open the game with a 20-point advantage.
Fowler, Oliver and Hopkins combined for 29 points on 12-of-18 (66.7 percent) shooting in the first half to spark the Red Wolves to the 40-22 halftime lead. As a team, A-State was 58.6 percent (17-29) from the field and 5-of-9 (55.6 percent) from 3-point range.
The Red Wolves limited the Jaguars to 28.6 percent (8-28) from the field and out-rebounded the visitors 21-12.
How It Happened (Second Half):
A-State scored just 10 points in the third quarter, but the defensive effort helped the Red Wolves sustain a 15-point lead throughout the period. The Red Wolves struggled from the field, going 4-for-16 (25 percent), but the Jaguars didn’t fare much better hitting 5-of-17 (29.4 percent).
South Alabama held A-State to just 1-for-11 (9.1 percent) from the field and forced nine turnovers to cut the 16-point deficit down to one with 12 seconds left. The Red Wolves made 4-of-6 (66.7 percent) free throws in the fourth quarter to hold on for the victory despite being outscored 19-6.
LITTLE ROCK BEATS TROY TO TAKE OVER SUN BELT LEAD
LITTLE ROCK – In a battle for first place in the Sun Belt Conference, the Little Rock women's basketball team came out on top.
Little Rock (12-6, 6-0) survived a third-quarter run by Troy (12-5, 5-1) and held on late for a 77-74 victory at the Jack Stephens Center on Thursday night, staying undefeated in league play and taking over sole possession of first place in the conference.
Kaitlyn Pratt was Little Rock's leader on offense with 20 points and added five rebounds. Kyra Collier scored 14 points and was within a breath of a triple-double with nine rebounds and nine assists. Sharde' Collins scored 16 points, and Ronjanae DeGray was the fourth Little Rock player in double figures with 13 points.
The game was close all the way through the fourth quarter, with neither team holding a lead larger than 6 points. Little Rock got that 6-point lead with 3:44 remaining when Collins drained a 3-pointer. But from there, Little Rock's offense went cold and Troy scored the next five points to make it a 75-74 game with 1:13 remaining.
Little Rock missed a 3-pointer on its next possession, Troy missed a 3-pointer on its next possession, and Monique Townson followed with two made free throws. Troy had another chance to tie but missed a 3-pointer with eight seconds remaining. After two missed free throws by Pratt, Troy was unable to get off a final shot as Townson deflected a long Troy pass and sealed the win for the home team.
The scoring began in the first half, with Little Rock setting a new season best for points in a half with 42. Little Rock got 16 points from Pratt – 8 away from her career single-game high – and led Troy by 10 points at the break. Troy committed 16 turnovers that led to 14 Little Rock points.
Little Rock began to pull away from Troy toward the end of the second quarter, going on an 11-2 run to close the half and keeping Troy without a point for more than three and a half minutes. Still, Troy stayed in the game due to shooting 44 percent from the floor in the period including a 4-of-7 effort from the 3-point line.
In the the third quarter, though, the visitors from Troy began to catch up as Little Rock got into foul trouble. Troy sank 10 free throws in the quarter while holding Little Rock to a low shooting percentage, and Troy was able to take a lead at 57-56 with 28 seconds left in the quarter as they closed the period on an 11-2 run.
Early in the fourth quarter, neither team seemed to be able to miss as they exchanged baskets for the first five minutes. With Troy leading 67-66, though, Little Rock scored 6 consecutive points on a DeGray layup, a Collins jumper and a Collier layup to make it a 72-67 game and give Little Rock some breathing room.
Townson was a big factor for Little Rock, scoring 8 points, adding five rebounds and dishing out six assists. Sophomore Kira Shepard played her first game of the season as well after tearing her right anterior cruciate ligament in the Sun Belt Championship Game against Troy last year. She had 4 points and a rebound in six minutes.
Little Rock remains at home this weekend, hosting South Alabama at the Jack Stephens Center on Saturday. That game is scheduled for a 4 p.m. tipoff.
Georgia Southern Downs Coastal Carolina 78-70
STATESBORO, Ga. – Angel McGowan recorded 21 points, five rebounds and four assists, and Georgia Southern shot 51 percent and never trailed as the Eagles sailed by Coastal Carolina, 78-70, in Sun Belt women's basketball action Thursday night in Hanner Fieldhouse.
Patrice Butler collected 20 points and nine rebounds for Georgia Southern (6-11, 2-4), and Nakol Franks chipped in 15 points and three assists. Alexis Foulks scored nine.
Ced Gibson posted 17 points and five assists to lead Coastal Carolina (7-9, 2-4), and Kennedy Archer scored 19. Rachael Gregory added 12 points and eight rebounds, and Jas Adams finished with 14 points and four rebounds.
THE STORY
GS led 39-30 at halftime and opened the third quarter with an 11-3 spurt to push the margin to 50-35. McGowan scored the first five points of the run and netted 13 in the second half of the contest. The Chanticleers whittled the lead down to seven points early in the fourth quarter, but the Eagles answered the bell as Butler hit a jumper in the paint out of a timeout. Four points by Foulks helped GS push the lead back to double digits.
The Eagles used a 12-5 run, keyed by a couple of Franks 3-pointers, to open a 24-13 cushion in the first quarter. Coastal Carolina cut the deficit to five on a Gregory jumper with 3:16 left in the second frame, but Foulks answered with back-to-back jumpers as GS pushed the advantage to 39-30 at the break.
QUOTABLES
Senior Guard Angel McGowan
On late-game situations
"That was our mindset because we're going to be in situations like that game after game, so we want to take care of the ball and make good decisions."
Head coach Kip Drown
On the good starts
"It's something we've emphasized so you hope that's taking hold a little bit, but we have come ready to play. That's been really encouraging. And that was a big emphasis after halftime to come out of there and not let them get back in it. We're starting to string more minutes together. Our kids held their composure, and I was really proud of how we came down the stretch with it."
On handling late game situations
"I thought our shot selection was good, and I thought we attacked and made some basketball plays. We did the things good basketball teams do. I was really proud of the maturation we showed and the composure we showed coming down the stretch."
App State Earns Gutsy Win at Georgia State
ATLANTA - Appalachian State University women’s basketball (8-9, 3-3 SBC) needed a gutsy performance on Thursday to pull out a 67-63 triumph over Georgia State (5-12, 1-5 SBC) at the GSU Sports Arena.
Madi Story scored a game-high 19 points and hit a career-high five 3-pointers to pace the App offense, while Joi Jones scored 12 points on five buckets and Q. Murray chipped in with 10. Story also grabbed five off the glass and dished out five assists to lead the team.
Appalachian moved the ball very well against GSU’s defense, assisting on 16 of 25 field goals (64 percent).
Bayley Plummer corralled a team-high eight boards to go along with eight points off the bench. Amber Driver also scored eight points off the bench. The duo combined for 16 points, shot 7-of-13, grabbed 10 boards and made big plays in the fourth quarter.
After making just nine 3-pointers in the last five games, the Apps hit a season-high nine trifectas and shot 50 percent from beyond the arc, which is a season best when shooting at least 10 treys. App State also controlled the boards, 40-31, and held a 14-7 advantage in second-chance points.
With the game tied at the 2:14 mark, 61-61, the Apps scored six of the final eight points to earn the win.
Jones muscled her way to a layup down low to break the tie for good. After coming up with a big defensive stop, both teams traded a pair of baskets including a big shot in the paint from Story as the shot clock winded down.
GSU would hit a layup to cut the deficit to one possession, 65-63, but Ashley Bassett-Smith sealed the win and handed the Panthers their fifth-straight loss as the senior stepped up with a big pair of free throws. App made the shots it needed to down the stretch, shooting 5-for-7 from the floor in the final 4:41 of the game.
The Panthers came out of the gate with an 8-2 lead in the first 2:42 of the contest. App gained its composure to outscore the visitors, 17-5, the rest of the way to go into the second quarter with a 19-13 lead. Appalachian held GSU to 27.8 percent shooting from the floor and forced the Panthers to miss their final six shots in the quarter.
An early 9-4 surge from the Panthers cut the deficit to one, 23-22, with 6:22 left in the first half. Appalachian responded with three-straight treys from Story, Driver and Murray to cap off a 9-0 run to push the lead to 10 (32-22), eventually taking a 34-26 lead into the half.
App State stayed in control for the third quarter despite Georgia State tying the game at 42-apiece. The Mountaineers scored six of the last eight points in the third to go in front, 48-44. Murray came away with a big 3-pointer before Bria Carter (Spotsylvania, Va./Spotsylvania) scored her only points of the game with an old-fashion 3-point play before the buzzer.
In an exciting fourth quarter, the Apps and Panthers wouldn’t have a lead by more than four points. Georgia State took its largest lead since the first quarter at 52-50. Story gave Appalachian the lead for good with a 3-pointer from the wing, despite the Panthers having chances to tie the game.
Appalachian shot 3-for-5 from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter and shot a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe.
The Mountaineers will look to keep the momentum going against archrival Georgia Southern at 2 p.m. in Statesboro.
Leavitt’s Threes Lead Texas State Past ULM
SAN MARCOS, Texas – Toshua Leavitt made five 3-pointers as she totaled a career-high 19 points in leading Texas State to a 63-50 victory over visiting ULM in Sun Belt women's basketball action Thursday evening.
Leavitt finished the game 6 of 12 from the floor, including 5 of 10 from deep to surpass her previous career-high of 16 (achieved twice). Ti'Aira Pitts was the Bobcats' second-leading scorer with nine, while Taeler Deer and Kaitlin Walla each added eight. Deer also set a career-high as she dished out 11 assists. Ericka May led TXST on the boards with 10 as the Bobcats outrebounded ULM 44-38. Texas State closed the game shooting 32.3 percent (21 of 65) from the floor, 8 of 24 from 3-point range and 13 of 16 at the free-throw line.
ULM (4-13, 1-5 Sun Belt) was led offensively by Alexis Collins and Gabriella Cortez with 15 and 14 points, respectively. The Warhawks shot 30.4 percent (14 of 46), including 3 of 16 from three.
Texas State, which improved to 8-9 overall and 3-3 in conference play with the win, outscored ULM 22-20 in the paint and turned 21 Warhawk turnovers into 23 points.
Texas State led 15-7 after 10 minutes of play as Leavitt scored eight points on two 3-pointers and a mid-range jumper. The Bobcats outrebounded the Warhawks 14-12 in the quarter, including three offensive boards by Amber Jones.
Texas State extended its lead to 19-7 in the opening minutes of the second quarter, but a quick 5-0 run by ULM left the Bobcats ahead 19-12 with 5:55 showing on the clock. Texas State answered with two baskets inside by De'Jionae Calloway, sparking a 13-4 run to end the half. The run, which ended with TXST leading 32-16 at the intermission, featured six total points by Calloway and five by Pitts, while the defense held ULM scoreless for four-plus minutes and forced four turnovers.
Leavitt sank her third 3-pointer of the game and 30th of the season to cap a 7-0 run midway through the third quarter and give the Bobcats their first 20-point lead of the contest at 43-23. Two free throws by Jones and a layup by McKinley Bostad pushed TXST ahead 47-25, but the Bobcats would not score over the final 4:40 of the quarter as ULM pieced together a 9-0 run. The Warhawks' run was initiated by a 3-pointer by Lauren Marker and continued by a combined six free throws from four different players as ULM trimmed their deficit after 30 minutes of play to 47-34.
Leavitt made her career-high-tying fourth 3-pointer less than a minutes into the fourth, breaking the Bobcats' near five minutes scoring drought. Minutes Kaitlin Walla sank two 3-pointers of her own as the Bobcats outscored the Warhawks 9-3 in through the first five minutes of the fourth. ULM would make a final push, scoring six straight at the free-throw line, but Texas State would counter with four free throws and another Leavitt triple down the stretch to secure the 63-50 victory.