Jan. 17, 2008
BEAUMONT - For the second straight game Nikki Williams had an explosive second half, propelling the Lamar University women's basketball team to a 72-70 win over the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks at the Montagne Center Thursday night.
The Lady Cardinals improve to 9-6 on the year and 2-0 in Southland Conference play with the win while SFA drops to 5-10 on the season and 2-1 in conference play.
Williams, who scored just three points and passed out one assist in the first half, came alive in the second half, scoring 14 points and passing out six assists. The junior guard helped hold off the Ladyjacks, who were on fire from behind the three point line.
Leading by 10 with 16:51 to play in the game, the Lady Cards looked like they were going to pull away for an easy win, but Stephen F. Austin would not allow LU to relax. The Ladyjacks began to chip away at Lamar's lead, and cut the game to one point at 46-45 with 10:48 to play.
With the lead gone, Williams began to take over, draining her first three pointer of the game to give Lamar a four point advantage with 10:23 to play. The triple set the tone for the final 10 minutes in which Williams would take over.
Lamar built their lead back to seven points with 8:30 to play, but the Ladyjacks would not fold under Lamar's pressure. Stephen F. Austin made their final run at Lamar over the next six minutes, taking their first lead of the second half at 65-64 on a three pointer by Ebony Alexander with 2:38 to play.
The Lady Cards however responded with a pair of big shots on their next to possessions, leaving SFA scrambling to get back in the game.
Tamara Abalde stepped back after receiving a screen from Brittney Williams and responded to Alexander's 3-pointer by draining a three of her own to put LU back ahead with 2:17 to play.
One possession later Nikki Williams put the nail in the coffin by knocking down a three from the top of the key to give LU a five point lead. With just two seconds remaining on the shot clock and SFA's Nikki Carr in her face, Williams pump faked and stepped to side of a leaping Carr and buried the shot.
After Carr scored on a jumper with 1:09 to play the Lady Cards were able to run down the clock to 2.8 seconds before Nikki Williams sank a pair of free throws to seal the deal with a five point lead.
SFA, who had been hot from beyond the arc in the second half going 7-11, finished the ballgame with their seventh three pointer of the half, as Alexander hit a shot from just inside half court as the buzzer sounded.
In the first half the two teams played a very close game, with neither team able to hold more than a four point lead. Abalde gave Lamar their largest lead of the half with a three pointer with 23 seconds to play in the half, and LU went into the break leading 36-32.
Abalde led the way for Lamar throughout the game, picking up game-highs in scoring and rebounding with 22 points and 15 rebounds on 9-14 shooting from the field. Nikki Williams finished the game with 17 points, passing out seven assists and grabbing six rebounds, while Brittney Williams added 16 points on 7-11 shooting. Aida Bakhos also came up big for LU, scoring 10 points.
Stephen F. Austin was led by Jessica Gaines who scored 18 points, while Alexander added 14 points. Carr and Chantol Drennan also finished in double digits for the Ladyjacks, scoring 11 points apiece.
As a team the Lady Cardinals shot 54.2 percent from the field, while holding SFA to 39.4 percent, while winning the battle on the boards 39 to 31. The Ladyjacks were able to stay in the game by winning the turnover battle as Lamar gave it away 18 times, while SFA only coughed it up five times.
The Lady Cardinals will be in action again on Saturday afternoon when they take on Sam Houston State at 3:00 at Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville, Texas.
