Jan. 27, 2005
BEAUMONT - Lamar junior Audrea Samuel scored a team-high 11 points and the Lady Cardinals scored 37 second-half points to take down Nicholls State, 59-48, in Southland Conference action Thursday night at the Montagne Center.
The win snapped a four-game losing streak for Lamar, while upping the Lady Cards' record to 8-9 overall and 2-4 in league action. Nicholls fell for the 10th straight time and slipped to 3-15 on the year, with a 0-7 SLC mark.
Samuel, a 6-0 forward from Beaumont, knocked down 3-of-7 field goals and 5-of-6 free throws for the game. She scored 10 of her 11 points in the second half and also finished the contest with three rebounds.
Up by two entering the second half (22-20), the Lady Cardinals built their lead to six with 18:17 remaining on back-to-back buckets by freshman Shaquita Coffey and sophomore LaToya Carson. Over the next three minutes NSU battled back to tie the score at 29-29 with 15:21 left to play.
Lamar then scored five straight in the next 1:09 to go up 34-29 as junior Megan McDougald sank two free throws and sophomore Alexis Timpone drained a trey from the left wing. The Lady Colonels made one final run at the Lady Cards when Claire Barry knocked down a three-pointer at the 12:44 mark to pull within one, 36-35. That was as close as NSU would get.
During the next 6:29, Lamar put together a 19-1 run, opening a 19-point lead (55-36). The Lady Colonels outscored LU 12-7 during the final 6:15, but it was not enough as the Lady Cardinals coasted to their eighth win of the year.
Carson, a 5-9 guard from Long Beach, Mississippi, finished the game with nine points and five rebounds for LU, while Coffey concluded the night with eight points, five boards and a team-high two blocked shots.
Timpone and junior Bridgette Brackens each finished with six points on a pair of three-pointers, and junior Shayla Lacy tied career-highs with six points, four rebounds and three assists. Freshman Chelsea Gugliotta ended the game with six points, five rebounds and three steals. Senior Demela Lowe also played well, recording season highs with six assists and five rebounds.
Nicholls State was led by Clemisha Mingo and Cristin Burdette with 12 points each. Burdette scored all of her points from beyond the arc, connecting on 4-of-9 attempts. Ami Benya added six points and two blocks, while hauling in a game-high nine rebounds.
Both teams struggled offensively to open the game, combining for only 11 points in the first 5:45. NSU took advantage of Lamar's shooting woes by opening a 16-5 lead with 8:51. LU hung tough and pulled within four on a 7-0 run during the next 3:52.
Lamar went on to outscore NSU 10-4 in the final 4:59 of the opening stanza to take a 22-20 lead into the locker room. Carson scored four of her points during the final surge and Lacy canned one of her two three-pointers.
After shooting 47.8 percent from the field in the second half (11-of-23), the Lady Cardinals finished the game with a 37.3% clip (19-of-51). NSU could only marginally overcome an 18.8 first-half percentage (6-of-32), finishing the night with a 25.8% mark from the floor (16-of-62).
The Lady Colonels outrebounded Lamar 47 to 40, but committed 19 turnovers to LU's 16. LU sank 15-of-26 free throws (57.7%) and NSU hit 9-of-11 for an 81.8% mark from the charity stripe.
Lamar continues its home schedule on Saturday, Jan. 29 with a 2 p.m. SLC game against Louisiana-Monroe in the Montagne Center.
