Stephen F. Austin
UTSA
UTSA Holds On To Edge Ladyjacks
2/12/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 12, 2011
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The Ladyjacks dropped their third game in a row on Saturday, falling for the second time this season to UTSA, 65-61, at the Convocation Center.
Decreasha Goodner finished with a team-high 17 points for SFA (8-15, 5-5 SLC), but the Ladyjacks only shot 22 percent in the first half while the Roadrunners (11-12, 7-3 SLC) never relinquished the lead in the second half, eventually ending to SFA's lowest scoring output since a 66-56 loss to UTSA on January 15 in Nacogdoches.
Tammara Marion was the only other Ladyajck in double figures, hitting a pair of threes in finishing with 14 points. Chantol Drennan added eight points and eight boards off the bench, while Jordan Ford finished with 10 boards for her second double-digit rebounding game of the season.
Amber Gregg followed up her 20-point performance in the first meeting with another solid showing, hitting three treys in scoring 21 points while playing all 40 minutes of the game.
The Ladyjacks dominated the glass for the majority of the afternoon, outrebounding the `Runners 53-41, including 22-7 on the offensive glass; however, SFA was only able to convert those 22 offensive rebounds into 11 second-chance points. UTSA also held a firm edge at the free throw stripe, hitting 17-of-26 shots compared to just 9-of-18 for SFA, including hitting six in the final minute to hang on for the win.
Both teams struggled offensively in the first half, with SFA holding a lead as late as the 3:46 mark of the first period until Kelsey Ansley hit just her second triple of the year to give UTSA the lead, 23-22, which they never gave back. SFA hit just 2-of-14 tries from beyond the arc in the first half, while the `Runners were able to connect on 3-of-8.
Marion hit her second three of the game early in the second half to bring SFA back to within two points, but the `Runners never let the lead shrink to less than four points until the game's final minute. SFA trailed by as much as 10, 50-40, at the 6:19 mark before finally finding an offensive spark, and got back to within five points behind a three from Goodner and a layup from Marion. But on the next possession, Gregg hit a triple with the shot clock running down to push the lead back to eight points and give UTSA plenty of cushion for the final 3:46 of play.
It looked as though SFA might have some magic left when Chelsea Foy made a pair of free throws following a `Runner turnover with just 35 seconds remaining to bring the Ladyjacks back to within four points, but after the teams traded points on the next two possessions, it was Gregg that made the key steal with less than 13 seconds remaining to ice the win.
SFA has a pair of home games on the schedule for next week against SLC West opponents, beginning Wednesday against UT-Arlington. The Ladyjacks will then host Texas State at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.
-SFA-
