Stephen F. Austin
Auburn
Tigers Claw SFA
12/20/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 20, 2002
NACOGDOCHES - The Auburn Tigers (10-0) spoiled the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack home-opener Friday night with 72-44 victory. The Ladyjacks fell to 0-7 on the season.
Leading by only one point, 9-8, the Tigers went on a 14-2 run over a five-minute 44-second time span to open up a 26-11 cushion. SFA went into the halftime trailing 41-19. But missed the services of senior Amy Collins (San Antonio, Texas) who had to sit out most of the first half in foul trouble.
The Ladyjacks didn't back down. Trailing by as many as 26 in the second half, SFA turned to freshman Kirby Killingsworth (Longview, Texas) for a spark and that is exactly what she provided. Killingsworth, playing in only her second game, came off the bench to score 10 second-half points to lead SFA on a 13-3 run with 11:26 remaining in the game to cut the Auburn lead to 16, 55-39. Killingsworth also led the Ladyjacks' defensive surge recording four steals. She finished the game with a team-high 13 points and four steals.
But the Tigers closed out the contest with a 17-4 run of their own for the victory. The Tigers were led by four players who scored in double figures including Natasha Brackett's team-high 18 points and eight rebounds.
Freshman LaToya Mills (Houston, Texas) finished the game with seven points and a career-high 10 rebounds. Senior Yolanda Grant (Flatonia, Texas) finished with a season-high nine points, four rebounds and three steals. Collins scored five points and pulled down seven rebounds.
SFA will tipoff the Southland Conference season at Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday Dec. 28. The game is slated to get underway at 5:30 p.m., from Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
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