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February 23, 2000
Lady Tigers Win; Tigers Lose in Final Seconds
Tim Heffington
ARKADELPHIA - The Tigers of Ouachita Baptist University lost a hard fought battle with the Bisons of Harding University in the final seconds of the game by a score of 69-67, while the Lady Tigers rolled over the Lady Bisons by a score of 75-68 at Harding’s Rhodes Fieldhouse on Monday, February 21.
The Tigers, in one of their best efforts of the season, started out strong before the partisan crowd of 1,800 to lead the Bisons 34-26 at the half. Harding tied the game at 40 all with a jumper by Lenny Bert with 13 minutes left in the game. The lead changed hands several times as OBU junior Mauricio Watson of Panama City, Panama brought the game to 64-65 on a three pointer with 1:24 left on the clock.
Harding pulled away with free throws by Bert and Michael Jackson to take a three point 67-64 lead with 16 ticks left on the clock. Ouachita’s Watson, operating on the perimeter, drove down again and tied the game with a three pointer with only seven seconds left. On the ensuing return down the court, Tiger sophomore guard T.J. Jones of Conway fouled Harding guard Chris Hardaway with four seconds left. Hardaway made both free throws to take a two-point lead. Jones had a chance at redemption after being fouled but missed the first free throw and OBU went home with the Lone Star Conference North Division loss.
The Tigers were led by Watson with 18 points on seven of 10 from the field, including four of five for three points while pulling down eight rebounds. Freshman Jarris Kentle added 14 points on six of 12 from the field and two of five from the three point arc. Jones added 10 points on two for five from the field and five of seven from the free throw line. Levern Floyd and Hardaway each had 19 points for the game for Harding.
OBU shot 27 of 49 from the field, including eight of 16 for three points and five of nine from the charity stripe. Harding shot 26 of 64 from the field, including five of 21 from the three point arc and 12 of 19 from the foul line. Harding pulled down 35 rebounds to OBU’s 32.
The Lady Tigers came out charging to a 6-0 lead but the Lady Bisons surged back and tied it up at 12 after eight minutes and led the game 22-15 after 11 minutes of play. OBU wouldn’t be held down and came back to take a 37-32 lead into halftime. The Lady Tigers came out of the locker room strong and never let the lead slip as they pulled away to win the game.
Senior Jamie Scheppmann of Cove led the Lady Tigers with 24 points on eight of 15 from the field including two of three from the three point arc and six for six from the free throw line, while grabbing six rebounds and four steals. Emerging freshman Jennifer Privitt of Lonoke added 16 points on four of 14 from the field and seven of 10 from the free throw line, and sophomore Tracy McBryde had 12 points on five of 13 from the field and led the team in rebounding with 15. Mindy Napier led the Lady Bisons with 17 points, while Rachel Raglin added 12 points and Susan Berry had 11 points.
OBU shot 26 of 72 from the field, including three of nine from the three point arc and 20 of 29 from the charity stripe. Harding put up 25 off 66 from the field, including four of 12 from the three point arc and 14 of 24 from the free throw line. OBU pulled down 55 rebounds and eight steals to Harding’s 41 rebounds and seven steals.
With the win, the Lady Tigers move to 18-6 overall and 8-4 in the conference and moved into a three way tie for first place in the Lone Star Conference North Division with Southeastern Oklahoma State University (16-7,8-4) and Northeastern (OK) State University (15-9,8-4). The Tigers went to 7-16 record overall and 3-8 for a sixth place spot in the conference standings.
On Thursday, February 24, the Tigers and Lady Tigers will travel to Weatherford, Oklahoma to face the Lady Bulldogs and Bulldogs of Southwestern Oklahoma State University at 6 and 8 p.m. respectively at Rankin Williams Fieldhouse.
On Saturday, both OBU teams will finish LSC regular season play with afternoon games in Lawton, Oklahoma against the Cameron University Aggies and Lady Aggies. The women’s game will be played first at 2 p.m., followed by men’s action at 4 p.m. both at Aggie Gymnasium.
The pairing and sites for the men’s and women’s 2000 LSC Post Season Men’s and Women’s Championship Basketball Tournament will be announced over the weekend by the LSC office in Richardson, TX. Eight teams, four from both the North and South Division of the LSC, will play in the first rounds of the men’s and women’s tournaments on Tuesday night, February 29 at home sites of the highest ranked clubs. The semi-finals will be played on Friday and Saturday, March 3-4 at home sites of the highest remaining teams on cross-indexed schedules.
Ouachita Baptist University• Lady Tigers
