Stephen F. Austin
Tulsa
SFA Down-Grades Golden Hurricane
12/5/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 5, 2006
NACOGDOCHES - The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks got a career-high 21 points and 10 rebounds from senior Charity Egenti Tuesday night to defeat Tulsa, 66-55. It marked the third-straight win for SFA and improved the Ladyjacks to 5-3 (.625) on the season.
What started out as a close game early quickly turned into rout. Leading by only a point, 12-11, with 12:32 remaining the first half freshman Martina Holloway drilled a three-pointer that sparked a 25-3 run. That run enabled SFA to take a 23-point advantage prior to the break. The Ladyjacks took a 22-point lead into halftime based on another solid outing by the defense.
The Ladyjacks forced Tulsa into 15 first-half turnovers, which they converted into 21 points, while SFA only turned the ball over seven times. The Ladyjacks also shot 43 percent in the opening half, while holding the Golden Hurricane to a 5-of-26 (.192) performance. SFA also made Tulsa's leading scorer Jillian Robbins a non-factor in the first half, scoring only two points.
The Ladyjacks appeared to be cruising to an easy win, but it would not come before Tulsa battled their back. TU senior Jillian Robbins scored 11 of her 13 points in the second half and grabbed 17 rebounds to help Tulsa quietly work its way back into the game. TU point guard Destanie Gardner hit a layup and was fouled with 3:33 remaining in the game. She went to the line looking to pull her team with 10 points, but was unable to connect on the foul shot.
The Golden Hurricane had three possessions to cut the Ladyjack lead to single digits, but SFA was able to force a turnover on every trip down the floor. Despite the fact that SFA was only able to manage two points in the final six minutes of the game, the defense was able to carry the team to victory.
SFA finished the game 26-of-62 (.429) from the floor, while Tulsa rallied to shoot 16-of-47 (.340) after a dismal first half. The Ladyjacks forced Tulsa into 28 miscues on the night, and converted the turnovers into 33 points. While Tulsa outrebounded SFA by 10, the Ladyjacks had the advantage in the paint outscoring their guests, 34-16.
Junior Nikki Carr chipped in 12 points and recorded four steals. Senior Jennifer Simpson had another strong performance off the Ladyjack bench. The Houston, Texas, native scored eight points and grabbed four rebounds in the victory.
The Ladyjacks return to action Thursday night to host North Texas. The game against the Mean Green will tip off at 7 p.m. from the Coliseum and close out the Ladyjacks' homestand.
-SFA-
