Women's Basketball: Feb. 28 Scoreboard
New Orleans 71, Abilene Christian 50
Stephen F. Austin 69, Houston Baptist 57
Lamar 81, UIW 64
Central Arkansas 73, Southeastern La. 57
Nicholls 73, McNeese State 68
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 60, Sam Houston State 52
New Orleans 71, Abilene Christian 50
NEW ORLEANS, La. – The New Orleans Privateers women's basketball team (6-19, 4-12) got another strong performance from Randi Brown and forced 31 turnovers in a 71-50 win over the Abilene Christian Wildcats (16-11, 8-8) on Saturday at the Lakefront Arena.
The Privateers allowed two layups and committed a turnover, which gave the Wildcats a 4-0 lead 32 seconds in. After a quick timeout by Coach Keeshawn Davenport, the Privateers' pressure started to force turnovers which started to propel the Privateers. New Orleans went on a 9-0 spurt to push ahead by six with 14 minutes left in the half, and didn't look back from there.
"They were ready and they refused to lose. I just encouraged them coming out the locker room to come out and swing first. It was a great team effort and it's finally coming together. I'm extremely excited and I have a great staff and a great team that's peaking at the right time," said Coach Keeshawn Davenport.
The Privateers had 22 of their 39 first half points off of turnovers and carried a 10-point lead to the locker room. New Orleans also was efficient from the field to set the tone, going 15-for-30 in the opening 20 minutes of play and hitting 5-of-9 triples.
In the second half, the Privateers opened up with three-pointers on the first two possessions to push the lead to 16. The lead was never smaller than 15 points as the Privateers defeated a Division I opponent by at least 20 points for the first time since 2007.
"That was the game plan from the beginning. They're a really solid fundamental team, but they don't handle pressure well. So I wanted to encourage my girls to bring the heat, force the turnovers, and capitalize," said Davenport about the pressure the Privateers brought which led to 35 points off of turnovers for the contest.
Brown wound up with her second straight game of 27 points and also contributed seven steals while hitting 9-of-18 shots. Danielle Davis added 14 points and dished out six assists. Davis has 11 assists in the last two games. Octavia Wilson scored 13 of the Privateers' 16 bench points, going 4-for-5 in 14 minutes of action.
The Wildcats were led by Whitney West who scored 12 points. Sydney Shelstead posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Suzzy Dimba scored eight points and had six rebounds. The Wildcats won the rebounding battle 37-32.
The Privateers will battle Southeastern in the home finale on Thursday at Lakefront Arena. Tip is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
– Return to top –
Stephen F. Austin 69, Houston Baptist 57
HOUSTON, Texas – For the second season in a row and the 17th time in program history, the Stephen F. Austin women’s basketball team will finish with at least a share of the Southland Conference regular season title after the Ladyjacks took care of Houston Baptist 69-57 on Saturday night inside Sharp Gym.
The Ladyjacks improve to 21-6 overall and 14-2 in SLC play with the victory.
With just two games remaining in regular season action and a 1.5 game lead over Lamar, SFA can finish no worse than tied for first this season. Because the Ladyjacks beat the Lady Cardinals in both meetings this year, they hold the tiebreaker and therefore claim the number one seed in the 2015 SLC Tournament after Thursday night’s win.
The SLC championship is the Ladyjacks’ 17th title all-time – 14 more than the next current league member (Northwestern State).
“We obviously have more work to do – we have goals beyond this one – but it’s definitely a terrific accomplishment,” said head coach Brandon Schneider. “It’s really, really hard to win at this level. I couldn’t be more proud of our players, coaches and support staff.”
The Ladyjacks got a balanced offensive effort from Taylor Ross, Porsha Roberts and Brittney Matthew to complement tremendous defense, especially in the second half. The Huskies (11-17, 5-12 SLC) were held to just 19 points on 24.1 shooting in the second as SFA surged to the 12-point victory.
Ross led all Ladyjack scorers with 17 points on 7-for-14 shooting. Ten of her points came in the first half as she found a lot of success driving the ball to the rim in the first 20 minutes.
Roberts, on the other hand, exerted her dominance in the second half, scoring 12 points while shooting at a 4-for-5 clip. She finished the night with 15 points, six rebounds and two blocks.
Rounding out the double digit scorers was Matthew with 14 points. Like Ross, Matthew connected on 50 percent of her shots from the field (6-for-12) while also shelling out a game-high four assists.
The first half was played within a six point window each way with the Huskies owning a 38-34 edge at the break. Ross banked in a floater as time expired in the opening period and the Ladyjacks kept that momentum on their side to start the second.
Coming out of the locker rooms, SFA opened up with a 13-2 run to regain the lead at 47-40 with 15:36 to play. HBU would take the lead 50-49 with 10:54 to go, but a Matthew jumper at the top of the lane put SFA back on top 51-50 just 19 seconds later.
SFA wouldn’t relinquish the lead the rest of the way. Matthew, Roberts and Brentney Branch combined to mount an 8-0 run from 4:49 to 2:38, essentially putting the game out of reach for HBU at 66-54.
The Ladyjacks outscored the Huskies 35-19 in the final frame as HBU went cold from the field (7-for-29 shooting). Another big cause for the lopsided score was the increased defensive pressure. SFA forced 14 of HBU’s 25 turnovers in the second half, led by Tierany Henderson with five steals. Roberts, Matthew and Ross all swiped three steals on the night.
The Ladyjacks can clinch the SLC regular season title outright with a win next week against Northwestern State or Sam Houston State as SFA hosts each program to close out the 2014-15 season. The Lady Demons come to William R. Johnson Coliseum on Thursday night for a 5:30 p.m. tip before the Bearkats make the trip to Nacogdoches for Saturday’s 4:00 p.m. contest.
Both games will be broadcast on ESPN3.
– Return to top –
Lamar 81, UIW 64
BEAUMONT, Texas – JaMeisha Edwards poured in a career-high 35 points as the Lamar Lady Cardinals clinched no worse than a tie for second place in the Southland Conference with an 81-64 win over visiting Incarnate Word on Saturday.
Edwards had 25 points in the first half for Lamar (16-12 overall, 13-4 Southland) as Lamar took a 50-35 lead into intermission.
“The worst thing for JaMeisha was halftime because she cooled off a little bit,” Lamar coach Robin Harmony said. “If we could have just kept playing, she would have broken a lot of records.”
Edwards, who finished 14-of-23 from the field for the game, was 10-of-12 in the first half, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range.
“I didn’t see this coming,” Edwards said after the game. “I felt good out there, and everything just seemed to go in.”
Kiandra Bowers added a double-double for Lamar, finishing with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Baileigh O’Dell had 10 points and a career-high eight assists.
“This was a good bounce-back win for us,” Harmony said. “We learned some lessons from our loss at McNeese State.”
Lamar forced 31 Incarnate Word turnovers, as the Lady Cardinals outscored UIW 38-15 in points off of turnovers. Lamar also added 40 points in the paint.
“Baileigh was able to get the ball inside, and we scored on our layups, which is something we don’t always do,” Harmony said. “Kiandra did a good job of finishing.”
The Lady Cardinals close the regular season by hosting Sam Houston State at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. A win ensures the Lady Cardinals of sole possession of second place. Meanwhile, Sam Houston State (6-20, 5-11) is tied with Houston Baptist for the eighth, and final, berth in the Southland Conference Tournament.
“Sam Houston is going to come in here as a desperate team. They’re fighting for their postseason life,” Harmony said. “We have to be ready for them.”
– Return to top –
Central Arkansas 73, Southeastern La. 57
CONWAY, Ark. — In the final home game for Central Arkansas seniors Brittany Agee and Terai Sadler, it was sophomore Brianna Mullins who stole the show – finishing with 24 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists to record the first triple-double of the program's Division I era as the Sugar Bears defeated Southeastern Louisiana 73-57 in the Farris Center.
Mullins' triple-double is just the 12th in program history and the first since Carone Harris had 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 steals on Dec. 30, 2004. It is the first in the Southland Conference this season, 6th in conference history and just the 17th in all of Division I in 2014-15.
Her 14 assists is the program's Division I record and the most for any Sugar Bear since 1996. It ties for the 11th-highest total in a Division I game this season and 9th in Southland history.
"I'm so proud of this team and thought we played extremely hard today," said UCA head coach Sandra Rushing, whose team improves to 17-11 overall and 10-6 in Southland play. "Bri Mullins … what can you say about her? We're a different team when she's not in the game. I appreciate the heart and passion for the game she has. She's so consistent day-in, day-out. She comes in, never gives us any problems, and does things the right way. Very proud of her tonight."
Agee and Sadler, playing their last game in the Farris Center, combined for 22 points and 10 rebounds with Sadler going for 12 points and 5 rebounds and Agee adding 10 and 5. Kendara Watts had 16 points for the Sugar Bears.
"I thought Agee and T had a great game for their last home game," Rushing said. "You want your seniors playing their best basketball at the end, and I think they're doing that right now. Kendara had a nice game for us, and I thought Angel Williams and Taya Novokreshchenova played their roles well. We're not asking them to score, but they're doing the things we're asking them to do and that's important."
The Sugar Bears led for more than 39 minutes, and the Lady Lions (7-20, 3-13) never led as UCA held SLU to 37.5 percent shooting and out-rebounded the Lady Lions 39-31. Southeastern was led by Nanna Pool, who had 18 points and 12 rebounds, and Peaches Anderson who added 14 points.
With the win, coupled with Nicholls defeating McNeese State, the Sugar Bears are in a three-way tie for 4th place with the Cowgirls and Northwestern State, a half game behind Nicholls at 10-5. The Sugar Bears wrap up the regular season on the road next week at Nicholls and McNeese before the Southland Conference Tournament in Katy, Texas March 11-15.
– Return to top –
Nicholls 73, McNeese State 68
LAKE CHARLES, La. – The Nicholls State University women’s basketball team found itself down 11 points in the second half against McNeese State, but the Colonels turned up the pressure on defense to fuel a decisive 17-1 run as Nicholls defeated the Cowgirls, 73-68, on Saturday afternoon in Burton Coliseum.
With the win, Nicholls (15-12, 11-5 SLC) matches its program record for conference wins and remains in third place in the standings. With two games left on the schedule, Nicholls is in position for at least one bye in the Southland Conference Tournament.
The Colonels had four players score in double figures, led by a game-high 23 points from Jenny Nash, but it was the defense that turned the tide. Midway through the second half, Nicholls full-court pressed McNeese State (16-12, 10-7 SLC), forcing the Cowgirls into 11 second-half turnovers which led to 11 points.
McNeese closed out the first half with two 3-pointers to head into the break with a 39-32 lead, and the run continued into the second period as the Cowgirls reeled off the first five points for a 44-32 advantage. At the 12:52 mark, McNeese capitalized on one of the Colonels’ 21 turnovers in the game for an easy layup which gave the Cowgirls a 51-40 lead.
On the next possession, Nash sank one of her three 3-pointers on the day and the field goal would ignite the Colonels, leading to the 17-1 run. In a five-minute stretch, Nicholls limited McNeese to a lone free throw as they took a 57-52 lead at the 7:52 mark and never looked back.
The lead swelled to eight on an Emani White 3-pointer with five minutes to go, but the Cowgirls managed to cut the deficit to 67-66 after a pair of Jayln Johnson free throws with less than two minutes remaining. The teams traded baskets and with 20 seconds left, Nash drove the baseline and banked home a shot inside to give Nicholls a 71-68 lead.
With the clock winding down, the Cowgirls’ Allison Baggett heaved up a 3-pointer to tie the game, but was off the mark. Shay Arnick corralled the rebound for the Colonels and was fouled, then put the game away with a pair of free throws with three seconds remaining.
Arnick was one of three Colonels to score 10 points in the victory, joining Tia Charles and Marina Lilly. As a team, Nicholls shot 43 percent from the field, helped by Nash’s 6 of 9 effort. Nicholls had a 45-33 advantage in rebounds, led by eight each from Arnick and Charles.
Amber Donnes paced McNeese, which shot 35 percent from the field, with 17 points and Frederica Haywood had 13 points and 10 rebounds.
The Colonels will play their final home game of the season on Thursday, March 5, against Central Arkansas at 6 p.m. Before the game, Nicholls will honor its 2015 senior class, which is the winningest class in program history. The four seniors to be honored are Shay Arnick, Syleida Ellis, JonMarie Guillory and Jenny Nash.
– Return to top –
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 60, Sam Houston State 52
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Sophomore Kassie Jones had a Homecoming to remember as she scored a career-high 28 points to help the Islanders overcome a seven-point second-half deficit on the way to a 60-52 win over Sam Houston State at the American Bank Center Saturday afternoon. With the win, the Islanders (14-13, 10-6) picked up the season sweep of the Bearkats.
Jones scored the first five points for the Islanders in the second half, helping the team back into the game in which its offense was at a complete standstill in the final minutes of the first.
A&M-Corpus Christi's offense came to life in the second half. As Jones went, the team went around her. Junior Shay Weaver scored 16 points and grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds for her third double-double of the season.
One player that has seen the court in limited action this season made a huge impact in the game. Freshman Shelby Miskell scored only five points on the scoresheet, but her energy on both ends of the floor ignited the team during a second half run that pulled the Islanders even with the Bearkats, as she drained two free throws.
An area that the Islanders improved upon in the second half was turnovers. The team finished with 18 in the game, but turned the ball over only four times in the final 20-minutes. In all, Sam Houston State (6-20, 5-11 SLC) scored 19 of their 52 points off of Islanders miscues.
The team dominated the rebounding category, out rebounding its opponent for the 13th time this season. The Islanders picked up 16 offensive boards and turned the extra chances into 10 points.
The Islanders got off to a great start, leading SHSU 19-9 eight minutes into the game. Weaver connected on her first four attempts, but the lead would not last long. The Islanders traded baskets with the visiting Bearkats for the next few minutes, but the islanders offense went stagnate as turnovers piled up for the home squad.
Sam Houston State used an 19-0 run to end the half to take a 30-23 lead to the locker room. Junior Gee Lawler put in a tough layup with 8:45 left in the half and the Islanders would be held in check for the remainder of the opening frame.
The Bearkats scored 15 of their points off of Islanders turnovers to fueled their run. The Southland Conference's leading scorer, Shernise Robertson paced the Bearkats with 12 points in the first. Weaver finished the first half with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
The Islanders host Houston Baptist Thursday at 5 p.m. at the American Bank Center. The team will then finish off the regular season on Saturday as they welcome Abilene Christian to town for Senior Day.
For the latest team information, like the team on Facebook (Islanders Women's Basketball), and follow the Islanders on Twitter and Instagram (@IslandersWBB). Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the Islanders Front Row App at GoIslanders.com/frontrow.
– Return to top –