Jan. 22, 2005
NACOGDOCHES - A 13-point halftime deficit was too much to overcome for the Lamar women's basketball team on Saturday afternoon, as the Lady Cardinals dropped a 76-61 Southland Conference contest to Stephen F. Austin at William R. Johnson Coliseum on the SFA campus.
The loss was the fourth straight for Lamar, dropping the Lady Cardinals to 7-9 overall and 1-4 in league play. It was also LU's 11th consecutive loss to SFA. The Ladyjacks improved to 9-7 on the year with a 3-2 SLC mark.
Sophomore LaToya Carson, a 5-9 forward from Long Beach, Mississippi, led Lamar with 15 points, including 13 in the second half. Freshman Shaquita Coffey, a forward from Beaumont, was the only other Lady Card to reach double figures with 13 points. Coffey also pulled down a team-high six rebounds before fouling out with 3:47 left in the second half.
LU started the second half sluggish, allowing SFA the opportunity to open a 17 point lead with back-to-back baskets in the first two minutes. During the next five minutes Lamar trimmed the lead to 10 (49-39) after 11 combined points from Carson and Coffey. The Lady Cardinals were able to pull within nine points at the 10:40 mark after Coffey made one of two free throws.
That was as close as the Lady Cards were able to get for the remainder of the game, despite shooting 50% from the floor (11-of-22) in the second half. The Lamar offense sputtered over the next 2:49, while SFA put together a 10-2 run to open a 62-45 lead. LU never came closer than 11 points (67-56) over the final 7:51 before eventually falling by the 15-point margin.
The Lady Cardinals finished the game 44.9% from the field (22-of-49), while the Ladyjacks recorded a 49.3% clip (33-of-67), the highest by an LU opponent all season. South Alabama's 48.4% on Jan. 3 was the previous season high.
LU was also outrebounded for the fourth consecutive game, as SFA held a 44 to 31 advantage on the boards. The Lady Cardinals also committed 27 turnovers and SFA recorded 23 for the game.
Lamar freshman Chelsea Gugliotta finished the game with nine points and five rebounds, while senior Demela Lowe added six points and a game-high four assists. She also recorded three steals.
SFA was led by LaToya Mills who recorded a double-double with game-highs of 23 points and 10 rebounds. Kirby Killingsworth added 14 points and Britany Vinson chipped in with 10.
SFA opened the game by scoring two quick baskets before Lamar manufactured an 8-0 run, fueled by four points from Coffey, to take an 8-4 lead with 16:25 remaining. LU built its lead to six (16-10) on a jumper by junior Audrea Samuel at the 11:51 mark.
The Ladyjacks responded with a 10-2 run over the next two minutes to grab a 20-18 lead with 9:57 left in the half. SFA's Jennifer Simpson scored both of her first-half field goals during the run. Lamar's Alexis Timpone drained a three-pointer from the right wing moments later, giving the Lady Cardinals their last lead of the first half (21-20) with 9:44 left to play.
SFA closed the first half with a 21-7 spurt, taking advantage of a 6:30 stretch during which the Lady Cards managed only one free throw. The Ladyjacks built a 13-point edge and entered the intermission leading 41-28.
Lamar returns home for its next SLC game, hosting Nicholls State on Thursday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. in the Montagne Center.
