Bobcats Bully the Bearkats, 73-41
HUNTSVILLE, Texas – The Texas State women's basketball team (7-2) was on the winning side of a second straight blowout victory, this one at the hands of the Sam Houston State Bearkats (3-5), 73-41, on Sunday afternoon at the Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville.
"It was great to see the team come out and execute," said head coach Zenarae Antoine. "The girls work so hard during the week, so getting this result is great for them. With that being said, we do not have much time to enjoy this one as we are back on the road in a couple of days against a really athletic Bethune-Cookman team on Wednesday and a really good mid-major program in Stetson on Thursday."
Toshua Leavitt paced the Bobcat attack, notching 25 points, with 19 coming in the first half. The junior guard knocked down 7-of-11 shots from beyond the arc. Her seven made triples tied her own school record for made threes in a game, matching her efforts in the Sun Belt Conference Championships last season against Louisiana. She also moved past TXST legend, Joyce Ekworomadu, for fifth in school history with 158 connections from deep. Leavitt has scored 20 or more points in four games this season, all four wins for the Bobcats. She has also knocked down at least six treys in four contests.
Texas State faces a quick turnaround, playing in the Annual Hatter Classic in DeLand, Fla. on Dec. 20. The Bobcats will take on Bethune-Cookman at 3:00 p.m. EDT inside the Edmunds Center in a neutral site showdown. TXST will then play host Stetson on Dec. 21 at 1:00 p.m. EDT.
Ragin' Cajuns Lose A Tough One At LSU
BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team, despite not trailing by double digits until halfway through the final quarter, lost to the LSU Tigers, in the 31st matchup between the two schools, 60-45, here at the Maravich Center.
The loss drops the Cajuns record to 4-7, while LSU improves their record to 6-3 and it's the Tigers' fourth straight win.
Senior Simone Fields led the Cajuns in scoring, finishing with 12 points and seven rebounds and freshman Ty'Reonne Doucet again had a great showing finishing the game with 10 points and seven rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED (First Quarter): Louisiana came out and started the game strong, not giving the Tigers easy shots and they moved the ball well. Within the first five minutes of the quarter, Fields already had three assists, which tied her career high, and she added two points.
A jump shot from Fields at the 2:26 mark of the quarter brought the Cajuns within one point of the Tigers (12-11) and after another Tigers basket, Fields again came through getting to the line and draining both free throws to again bring the Cajuns within one point of the Tigers (14-13).
A quick 4-0 run from LSU in the final minute and a half of the quarter meant that LSU took a four-point lead into the quarter break, but the Cajuns had outrebounded the Tigers, 7 to 6, and the score sat at 17-13 in favor of LSU.
HOW IT HAPPENED (Second Quarter): Neither team could manage a basket through the first two minutes of the quarter but the Cajuns ended that stretch with a basket from Doucet. LSU answered with a quick 5-0 run, but Fields continued her strong first half, going strong to the basket with a layup to bring the score to 22-17 LSU.
Another quick 5-0 run from LSU was again stopped short by a great defensive play from Goodwin when, at the 4:30 mark, she jumped a pass on the left side and went coast-to-coast finishing with a layup to again pull the Cajuns with six points (25-19).
The two teams then traded baskets in the final minutes of the quarter, and a final basket from Fields, giving her 10 points in the first half, meant that the Cajuns only trailed by six points heading into the locker room with the score sitting at 27-21 with LSU holding the lead.
HOW IT HAPPENED (Third Quarter): Through the first two minutes of action only a LSU basket from Shanice Norton added to the score for either side. But the Cajuns maintained their discipline on defense drawing a charge one and a half minutes into the quarter that led to a drive and layup from sophomore Malachi-Seraphin Williams to put the score at 29-23 with LSU still holding a six-point lead.
As the quarter went along the Cajuns wouldn't let the Tigers pull away by more than nine points, and the strong presence the Cajuns showed on the court meant that halfway through the quarter Louisiana was in the bonus.
That strong presence on the court extended to their defense as they held LSU to 2 for 10 from the field through the last three minutes of the quarter, and a big charge from Howard, with 55 second left in the quarter, led directly to sophomore Brittney Myles nailing a layup. A free throw from LSU meant they extended their lead to only six points and as the quarter ended the Tigers led 41-35.
HOW IT HAPPENED (Fourth Quarter): Both teams traded baskets through the first two minutes of the quarter and the Cajuns still only trailed by six points at the 8:08 mark of the quarter. But LSU again put a run on the Cajuns and this time they got the lead over 10 points getting their first double digit lead of the game at the 6:42 mark of the quarter.
Louisiana didn't go away quietly and they cut back into the Tigers lead, getting the score to 50-43 at the 4:05 mark of the quarter by a jump shot from Doucet.
But a technical foul called on Cajuns head coach Garry Brodhead meant that LSU could again stretch their lead, and after the free throws they went on a 10-2 run to finish the game and when the final whistle blew the Tigers won the game with a final score of 60-45.
NOTEWORTHY: It's the second straight game, third in the last four, that Fields scored in double digits; The 10 points for Doucet is a career high; It's the second straight game that the Cajuns outrebounded their opponent (38-37).
UP NEXT FOR THE CAJUNS: Louisiana returns to the Cajundome for the fourth-annual education game, on Wednesday, Dec. 20, for one final tune up before they begin conference season when they host the Alcorn State Lady Braves in a matinée game with tip scheduled for 11 a.m.
The Cajuns then finish off the calendar year by kicking off Sun Belt Conference play by making the Arkansas swing. They'll start conference play in Little Rock, Ark., on Dec. 29 with their game against the Little Rock Trojans starting at 5 p.m.
After that Louisiana will ring in the new year by heading to Jonesboro, Ark., to face off with the Arkansas State Red Wolves on Dec. 31 with that game scheduled for a 1 p.m. tip.
ULM Can’t Recover from Slow Start; Drop Home Game to UNO, 89-51
MONROE, La. – Randi Brown scored a game-high 28 points to lead New Orleans to an 89-51 victory over ULM on Sunday, Dec. 17. It marked the Privateers' first road win of the season.
New Orleans (3-7) scored 13-straight points to take a 15-2 lead on a three-pointer from Kayla Mundy with 4:24 left in the first quarter. The Warhawks went scoreless for 5:44 in the opening quarter. ULM (2-7) pulled to within 10 twice at 16-6 and 18-8 but never managed to cut its deficit to single digits. The Privateers led 24-11 after the first quarter.
Brown (18 points) and Shania Woods (12) combined for 30 first-half points as UNO built a 20-point halftime lead at 46-26. The Privateers shot 55 percent (17-of-31) from the field in the first half, including 4-of-8 from three-point range, and outrebounded ULM, 20-10. UNO scored 10 second-chance points off nine offensive rebounds in the first 20 minutes.
New Orleans extended its lead to 29 at 62-33 on a rebound goal from Asia Woods with 4:07 remaining in the third quarter. The Privateers led by as many as 38 points on three occasions in the fourth quarter, including the final score.
For the game, UNO hit 52 percent (32-of-61) of its field-goal attempts and outrebounded the Warhawks, 39-25. The Privateers outscored ULM: in the paint, 50-18; off turnovers, 23-5; and in second-chance points, 22-11.
Asia Woods posted a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Shania Woods added 12 points.
Twelve different players scored for ULM, led by Gabriella Cortez and Tan Walker who contributed seven points each.
ULM concludes its two-game homestand on Tuesday, Dec. 19 against Houston Baptist at 6 p.m.
Samford Storms Back to Down Troy
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The Troy women's basketball squandered a 21-point lead falling, 80-73, to Samford on Sunday in the Pete Hanna Center.
The Trojans (5-4) led for 31:42 and by as many as 21 before the Bulldogs (5-6) came roaring back shooting 75 percent in the fourth period and taking advantage of a slew of free throw opportunities throughout the game. Samford was 23-of-33 from the charity stripe while Troy was gifted with just 17 attempts making 13.
Amber Rivers led the Trojans with 15 points while Dajia Williams recorded a team-high seven rebounds. Kayla Robinson finished with 12 points and Sky'Lynn Holmes chipped in with 10.
With Troy clinging to an eight-point lead entering the final frame, Samford scored the first 10 points of the quarter and outscored the Trojans 33-18 over the final 10 minutes making 5-of-6 shots from 3-point range. Troy jumped out to a 23-11 lead in the first period courtesy of 3-pointers from Harriet Winchester, Jasmine Sanders and Shaterrika O'Neal. The Trojans hit just three shots from beyond the arc for the rest of the game.
UP NEXT
Troy visits The Cresent City for two games in the Tulane Classic. The Trojans face host Tulane on Thursday before playing either Samford or UTEP on Friday.
NOTEWORTHY
• Troy is 2-4 on the road this season.
• Amber Rivers has scored in double-digits in five of Troy's nine games.
Razorbacks Finish Strong To Top UTA
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - A road trip against three Power 5 conference teams came to an end on Sunday as Arkansas topped UT Arlington 91-55 at Bud Walton Arena.
The Lady Mavericks fell for the fifth time in a row, four coming against competition from the Power 5 conferences, as they went to 5-5 for the season. The contest marked the final time UTA will play on the road in nonconference as it heads to College Park Center for its first home game since Dec. 1 when it hosts San Francisco on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. Arkansas improved to 8-3 on the season, winning its last three.
Rebekah VanDijk led the offense for the second time in three games. The senior finished with a team-high 14 points. Shelby Richards and Laurynn McGowen led a third-quarter attack to each reach double figures. The run brought the second-half deficit down to just eight points before Arkansas pulled away for the remainder. Richards finished with a career-high 12, while McGowen had 10.
Arkansas featured two that had 20 points or more, led by Raven Northcross-Baker, who had 22 points, including knocking down six 3-pointers.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter: VanDijk helped UTA to a hot start by scoring eight of the teams 12 points in the opener. UTA made four of its first five field-goal attempts to build up a quick lead, but an 8-2 run by the Razorbacks shifted the matchup early back in favor of the host.
Second Quarter: A four-minute scoring drought helped Arkansas push its lead into double figures with 3:59 to go in the half. It was VanDijk that helped calm the offense once again and she raced to double figures to cut into UA's lead. Arkansas took advantage of UTA's cold streak from the field and sparked an 8-0 run with back-to-back 3-pointers from the corner. Richards pulled UTA back within 13 at the break as she knocked down a 3-pointer at the buzzer, UTA's lone trey of the first half.
Third Quarter: Arkansas missed on its first five shots of the second half as UTA brought the Razorback lead down to 10 points early in the quarter. A five-point run by UA pushed it back out to 15 as the teams went back-and-forth midway through the frame. Richards joined Laurynn McGowen to help trim things down to just eight points with two minutes left in the third. However, Arkansas would score the final six points to take a 17-point lead into the final 10 minutes.
Fourth Quarter: The Razorbacks struck early in the final frame, knocking down three consecutive 3-pointers to force UTA into another early timeout. Between the final two minutes of the third and the opening two of the fourth, Arkansas outscored UTA 20-5.
KEY STATS
Arkansas outscored UTA 28-11 in the fourth quarter... UTA led in points in the paint with a 36-26 edge... UTA turned the ball over 22 times, averaging 21.4 turnovers in the last five losses. VanDijk fell just two rebounds short of her 40th career double-double.
Coastal Falls to No. 23 Syracuse in Carolinas Challenge
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - The Coastal Carolina women's basketball team fell 69-57 to 23rd-ranked Syracuse on Sunday evening at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. The Orange were aided by the individual effort of Gabrielle Cooper, who finished with a game-high 24 points.
The loss evens Coastal's record to 5-5, while Syracuse remains undefeated and improves to 11-0.
Coastal trailed Syracuse since late in the opening quarter but threatened to overtake the lead several times in the second half, including cutting the deficit to as little as three points at the beginning of the fourth. Syracuse pulled away from the Chants as the quarter wound down, scoring seven unanswered points to regain its double-digit advantage.
Cooper's 24 points came on 9-of-19 shooting with four 3-pointers. Amay Finklea-Guity followed with 18 points, and Tiana Mangakahia -- the nation's leader in assists -- recorded a 12 point, 12 assist double-double.
Jas Adams led Coastal with 18 points, and DJ Williams recorded her second double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Williams also led the Chants with four assists.
Syracuse held advantages in shooting percentage (43.1 -- 35.1) and rebounds (40-38), and scored 42 of its points in the paint.
The Orange scored 11 unanswered points in the first quarter to take an early double-digit cushion and lead the game 22-13 after the game's first 10 minutes. Cooper accounted for six points during that span.
The two sides traded 3-pointers over the first five minutes of the second quarter, as the first six baskets made in the quarter came from beyond the arc. The Chants outscored the Orange 15-13 in the frame to cut Syracuse's lead to seven points at the end of the first half.
The third quarter also saw Coastal outscore Syracuse by two points, helped by a streak of seven straight points over the period's final 2:27. Adams had five points in that stretch, and Williams and Janae Camp added points from the line.
Williams then made a layup to open the fourth quarter to bring the margin to three points, before Syracuse began pulling away. Mangakahia led Syracuse with nine points during down the stretch, including five points at the line.
Coastal returns to the HTC Center on Wednesday to host Wofford for its final nonconference game of the season. Tip-off between the Chants and Terriers is set for 6 p.m.