Cardinals Cruise to 88-64 Win over Southeastern Louisiana
By Brandon C. Williams
Southland.org
KATY, Texas -- Number one lived up to its billing.
Sparked by a tenacious defense that sparked a 21-4 first half run, the top-seeded Lamar Lady Cardinals raced to an 88-64 win over eighth-seeded Southeastern Louisiana in a women's quarterfinal game at Merrell Center Tuesday evening.
"We knew we had to set the tone early," said Lamar guard Jenna Plumley, who had 11 points and four assists. "We knew that if we came out with a defensive mindset, everything would come into place."
The dominoes fell with ease for the Lady Cardinals (24-7), as they shot 51 percent from the field and limited the Lions (12-18) to 32 percent shooting in the first half and forced 15 turnovers.
"When your kids are able to hit baskets early, the 'Big C' comes next," said Lamar coach Larry Tidwell. "We knew we had to get up early. We just tried to make things work and put it away."
Darika Hill led Lamar's balanced offensive attack with 22 points and added 13 rebounds and a career-best five blocked shots. Ang Green had 11, while Ashley Crawford added 10.
Much of the Lady Cardinals' success came from the emphasis on defense, as they swarmed the Lions on almost every possession.
"This was the best defense we've played in about a month and a half," said Tidwell.
Southeastern Louisiana never led, but drew within 21-15 on Kelli Jenkins' basket with 8:16 in the first half. The Lions appeared to be ready to pull closer, but forward Zevy Ivory was called for her second foul, knocking the steam out of their run and opening the door for the Lady Cardinals to break the game open.
Lamar hit six of their 10 3-pointers in the first half, with three of them coming during the decisive run.
The last of the triples came when Kalis Loyd took an errant Southeastern Louisiana pass and knocked down a 28-foot jumper just as the horn sounded, giving the Lady Cardinals a 42-19 halftime lead.
"I just took a chance and let it go," said Loyd, who finished with nine points and four rebounds.
The huge lead allowed Tidwell to give his starters extended periods of rest during the second half. The Lady Cardinals led by as many as 29 points before the Lions were able to whittle the score down behind the play of guard Kim Edmonson, who hit four of her five 3-point attempts after intermission.
Southeastern Louisiana was outscored by only a 46-45 margin in the second half.
"Well, Cinderella wasn't wearing green and gold this year," said Lions coach Lori Davis Jones. "We just couldn't get our shots to fall early and were unable to get rebounds when we had the chance. You miss too many shots and you'll find yourself down 20 points."
Edmonson led the Lions with 12 points, while Erica Burgess had 10.