Stephen F. Austin
UT Arlington
Marion's Triple Helps SFA Edge UTA
2/16/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 16, 2011
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Junior Tammara Marion hit a three-point bucket from the right corner with 20 seconds remaining in regulation and UT-Arlington's Briana Walker missed a game-tying free throw with just 2.5 seconds left as the Ladyjacks held on for a 68-67 win over the Mavericks on Wednesday at William R. Johnson Coliseum.
The win snapped a three-game losing skid for SFA (9-15, 6-5 SLC), but was far from easy as the Mavs (7-16, 4-7 SLC) erased a 16-point halftime deficit to take the lead in the final minute of play before Marion's triple. It was her fourth three of the night, giving her a game-high 19 points.
Walker drew even with Marion with her 19th point coming on the front end of a two-shot foul after her game-tying layup wouldn't stay down with under three seconds to play. But it was the point that got away from her that loomed largest as the second shot hit off the back iron and Amina Sawyer pulled down her sixth board of the night to help SFA hang on for the one-point edge.
SFA had dropped 12 of its last 13 games to the Mavs entering this season, but own victories in both meetings this year, including a 67-63 win in Arlington on January 15.
For the second straight meeting with the Mavs, SFA held a distinct advantage at the free throw line, hitting 17-of-22 foul shots to just 9-of-13 for UTA. SFA was also outrebounded on the night, but did finish with five more offensive boards than did the Mavs while also forcing 26 turnovers.
The Ladyjacks did most of their damage in the first half, using an energized defense to force 17 turnovers on the defensive end and using a smooth shooting hand to hit seven treys in the first period on their way to a comfortable 40-24 halftime edge. Marion hit for 12 of her 19 points in the first period, while Decreasha Goodner added all 10 of her points in the first half, mainly on canning 7-of-8 from the free throw line.
It took SFA less than nine minutes to build a double-digit lead, one which stayed as such for the majority of the half, but it was an 8-0 run in the final 1:48 behind threes from Marion and Cheyenne Berry that doubled the margin in sending SFA to the locker room.
Still, for the second consecutive home game it took the Ladyjacks a few minutes to warm up coming out of the locker room as UTA scored the first six points of the half, unanswered, over the first three minutes before Sawyer ended the early drought with a jumper from the free throw line.
From there SFA managed to answer every UTA burst with one of its own, seeing the lead shrink to as little as four points with just over eight minutes remaining before going on an 8-2 run over the next three minutes to push the lead back to 61-51 after a three from Courtney Conwright and a free throw from Ebony Alexander.
But that is when the Mavs began their final run, drawing to within a point at 65-64 when Tamara Simmons splashed in a step-back three from the right wing with just 1:33 remaining. Then, after the team's traded empty trips down the court, the Mavs took their first lead since the 18:33 mark of the first half when Kiara Parker took advantage of an offensive rebound to put UTA up 66-65 with only 40 seconds remaining.
SFA then took a timeout and etched out a play for Marion, who found herself open on the right side of the floor and calmly hit what proved to be the game-winning shot with just 20 seconds left in the ballgame.
The Ladyjacks next host Texas State at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday at William R. Johnson Coliseum. The game will be SFA's annual Pink Zone game and will be aired live on the Southland Conference Television Network.
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