|
February 2, 2001
Tigers Take Win; Ladies Fall to Delta State
ARKADELPHIA-Stephanie Grimes' 10-foot jumper with seconds to play wouldn't fall to give the Ouachita Baptist University Lady Tigers the victory as the Delta State University Lady Statesmen took a 74-73 Gulf South Conference win Thursday night at OBU's Bill Vining Arena in the Roy and Christine Sturgis Physical Education Center. In the late game, the OBU Tigers upset the DSU Statesmen, 82-78, and stopped a six game losing streak.
Before 800 partisan fans, the Lady Tigers took control after a ball control error by the Lady Statesmen and seven seconds left on the clock. The ball was brought upcourt by guard Lyndsey Hawkins who passed to Grimes. She had a clear shot, but it was too hard off the basket and Delta took home the victory to stay a game behind league-leading Arkansas Tech University.
Ouachita fell to 14-5 overall and 6-3 in the GSC. The Lady Statesmen improved to 20-2 and 7-2. OBU and DSU were tied for second place in the league standings going into the contest.
The win by Delta made a sweep this season for the Cleveland, Mississippi team over the Lady Tigers with DSU winning the first meeting, 69-61.
Delta scored most of its points off Lady Tiger fouls as Delta saw a 25 of 35 effort from the free throw line, while Garry Crowder's team was only 13 of 20. Ouachita was whistled for 29 fouls, compared to Delta's 21. Ouachita had two players-leading scorer Crystal Allen and leading rebounder Jennifer Edwards-to foul out of the contest in the closing minutes of action.
The Lady Statesmen jumped out to a 40-33 halftime lead, but a hard charging Lady Tiger unit reclaimed the high ground in the second half on their way to shooting 54 percent (15 of 28) from the field, while holding DSU to a 41 percent (12 of 29) effort.
Lloyd Clark's Delta team threatened to embarrass the Lady Tigers as they took a 14 point lead at 54-40 on a basket by junior forward Caroline Boclair with 16:05 to play in the contest.
But, the Lady Tigers regained their shooting confidence and took the offensive.
OBU, in fact, took the lead 61-57 after a 17-0 run featuring two three-pointers by Tracy Denney and a trey by Allen. Delta, ranked sixth in the latest USA Today/Women's Basketball Coaches Association Division II Poll, came back strong to regain the lead on an 8-0 run. OBU forced a 69-69 tie on a bucket by Allen with 3:51 to play. But, the Lady Statesmen retook the lead for good on a two-pointer by All America player Boclair with 2:28 left on the clock.
Denney, a transfer guard from the University of Texas-Arlington, led all OBU scorers with 16 points, including four treys of seven attempts. The Sheridan native also had seven rebounds and three assists. Junior guard Robyn Anders of Grapevine, Texas finished the evening with 13 points. Freshman post Kristen Hurdle exited with seven boards and seven points.
The Lady Statesmen were keyed by Boclair's 20 points, followed by Katrina King with 14 and Megan Teel with 10. Boclair led both clubs in rebounding with 13.
For the game, OBU shot 47 percent (27 of 57) from the field, while Delta went 23 of 60 for 38 percent. From the arc, OBU was six of 15 for 40 percent, and Delta was three of four for 75 percent. OBU led in rebounds with 41 to Delta's 38.
Mike Reynolds' Tigers had not won a game since a 86-71 win on January 11 against the Arkansas Tech University Wonder Boys in a match-up at Vining Arena. The Tigers gained the victory Thursday night by burying the Statesmen with their field goal accuracy in the second half. OBU shot 58 percent (14 of 24), while the Tiger defense responded at the other end holding the Statesmen to only 41 percent (13 of 32). Going into the game, the Statesmen were the ninth ranked team in the South Region Rankings of the NCAA Division II.
The win moved OBU's record to 4-15, 2-7, while Delta fell to 11-7, 6-3.
Ouachita had four players in double scoring digits-guard T.J. Jones with 19, forward Mauricio Watson with 18, forward Tim Lane with 16 and forward with 13. Watson led the Tigers in rebounds with seven, including five on the defensive end of the court. The Tigers lit-up the outside, hitting 10 of 20 from three point distance. Jones had two treys, Jordan Cowart added two, Lane was hot with four, and Watson scored two.
The Tigers also had a good night at the free throw line, connecting on 14 of 16 for 86 percent, while DSU went 13 of 19 for 68 percent. OBU won the rebounding war, 34-30.
There were six lead changes in the first half with OBU holding a narrow, 37-35 advantage after 20 minutes of court play.
Action was much the same in the last half with eight lead changes with the Tigers taking a 73-72 advantage on a two-pointer by Jones, the team's leading scorer this season, with 46 seconds. OBU never lost the lead over the remaining seconds cashing-in on opportunitites at the line as Delta was forced to foul. Jones, Kentle and Watson all calmly sank insurance points.
On Monday at John Tucker Coliseum in Russellville the Lady Tigers will face the Gulf South Conference leaders-the Arkansas Tech University Golden Suns. The nationally 21st ranked Suns tied a school record for fewest points allowed in a game as they defeated the Christian Brothers Lady Buccaneers, 43-25, Thursday night at Tucker. It was the Suns' 29th straight home win and their sixth consecutive victory overall. On Monday, Joe Foley's Suns, 15-4, 8-1, will be looking to avenge an 72-69 season defeat by the Lady Tigers on January 11 at Vining Arena. Tipoff is at 6 p.m. The men's game follows at 8.
The CBU Buccaneers held off a late surge by the ATU Wonder Boys to hang on for an 81-74 victory in GSC play at Tucker on Thursday night. The Wonder Boys are 3-15, 2-7.
Before the Suns and Wonder Boys face the Tigers and Lady Tigers they must travel to Cleveland and play Delta State at Walter Sillers Coliseum on Saturday.
Both Ouachita games with Tech on Monday night will be carried over KDEL-FM Radio (100.9) in Arkadelphia with Dr. Jeff Root and Matt Turner at mikeside.
-by Mac Sisson
Ouachita Baptist University• Lady Tigers
