March 2, 2005

MONROE, La. - The Lamar women's basketball team shot its second-lowest field goal percentage of the year as the Lady Cardinals lost 64-47 at Louisiana-Monroe in their season-finale Wednesday night at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.

Lamar finished the year with a 9-18 overall record and a 3-13 mark in SLC play. ULM improved to 19-7 overall with a 12-3 league record.

The Lady Cardinals shot just 27.9 percent from the field for the game. ULM wasn't much better at 28.6 percent, but the Lady Indians controlled the boards, outrebounding Lamar 58 to 39, including 33 on the offensive glass.

Trailing 32-17 at halftime, Lamar scored the first four points of the second half on a Jana Mustard jumper and a pair of Demela Lowe free throws to cut the lead to 32-21. However, that's as close as Lamar would get the rest of the way.

Lamar did not have a player score in double figures in the game. Sophomore LaToya Carson led the team with nine points. Lowe, a senior playing her final game as a Lady Cardinal, added eight points and three assists.

The Lady Cardinals did set a new season-high with 12 blocked shots, including a season-best four for Mustard. Junior Audrea Samuel equaled her season high with three and freshman Shaquita Coffey added three.

ULM's Nina Randle led all scorers with 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field. Nedra Winston added nine points and seven rebounds off the bench. The Lady Indians forced 24 Lamar turnovers, which led to 24 points. ULM also enjoyed a 28 to 10 advantage in points in the paint and a 16 to five advantage in second chance points.

A Chelsea Gugliotta lay-up up at the 15:22 mark pulled Lamar within two, 6-4. The Lady Indians scored the next five points to extend their lead to 11-4. Another 7-0 run pushed the lead to 12 points (18-6) on a three point play by Melanie Williams at 10:40.

With 6:09 left in the first half, Mustard hit a jumper to cut ULM's lead to seven, 20-13. Leading 24-16, the Lady Indians outscored Lamar 8-1 to close the half with a 32-17 lead.

Lamar shot 30 percent from the field in the first half and 45.5 percent from the free throw line. The Lady Cardinals held ULM to 22 percent shooting from the field in the first half, but the Lady Indians outrebounded Lamar 34 to 17, including grabbing 21 on the offensive glass.