Jan. 20, 2005
BEAUMONT - The Lamar women's basketball team lost for the third straight time on Thursday night, dropping a Southland Conference game to Southeastern Louisiana, 59-56, at the Montagne Center.
The Lady Cardinals slipped to 7-8 on the year, including a 1-3 league record. SLU, on the other hand, improved to 7-8 with a 2-3 SLC mark. It was the Lady Lions first road win of the season.
After entering the second half with a three-point lead, the Lady Cardinals built their lead to seven (41-34) on a fast break lay-up by sophomore Alexis Timpone with 16:48 remaining. SLU responded with five unanswered points on a free throw and two baskets.
Leading 41-39 with 12:47 left to play, Lamar used an 8-2 run over the next six minutes to open an eight-point advantage, capped by a Bridgette Brackens three-pointer. After Brackens basket, the Lady Cards did not score again until junior Audrea Samuel sunk a mid-range jumper with 3:37 to put Lamar up 51-48.
SLU's Brooke Necaise nailed one of her two three-pointers moments later to tie the score at 51-51. Both teams then traded baskets before junior Megan McDougald made one of two free throws to put LU up 54-53. On the ensuing possession, Dacia McGowan took advantage of a trip to the free throw line by sinking both shots to put the Lady Lions up by one, 55-54.
Samuel responded with a lay-in at the 1:09 mark, but the LU lead was short-lived as SLU's Nakeya Downing converted a Necaise pass to give the Lady Lions the lead for good. Lamar was unable to score in the final minute and Jenny Brown's free throws with 19 seconds left put SLU up by the final margin, 59-56.
Lamar's desperation heaves in the finals seconds were unsuccessful and the Lady Cardinals lost their fifth home game of the season.
Sophomore LaToya Carson was LU's only player in double figures with 10 points. Freshmen Chelsea Gugliotta and Shaquita Coffey, along with Samuel, each added eight apiece, while Gugliotta also hauled in a team-high seven rebounds.
Timpone, a native of Tempe, Arizona, finished the game with seven points and a career-high six rebounds, while playing for a career-best 25 minutes. Demela Lowe, a senior from McAlester, Oklahoma, finished with season-highs of six assists and five steals. She also chipped in with four points and three rebounds.
In the first half, Lamar trailed early before assuming control with just over 11 minutes remaining. The Lady Cards opened as much as a six-point lead before SLU tied the score at 22 with 6:53 left in the period. LU limited the Lady Lions scoring chances in the waning moments of the opening frame, before taking a 30-27 lead into the intermission.
Southeastern Louisiana was led by Brown who scored a game-high 14 points, including 4-of-6 from three-point range. McGowan contributed 13 points, five rebounds and three assists, while Downing added nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
SLU committed 23 turnovers, compared to only 20 by LU, but the Lady Lions outrebounded the Lady Cardinals 39 to 33. Lamar finished with a 41.8 field goal percentage (23-of-55) and SLU ended the night with a 40.7% clip from the floor (22-of-54).
Lamar returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 22 with a conference contest at Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches. Tip-off is slated for 4 p.m. in Johnson Coliseum.
