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GOLDEN SUNS WIN THIRD STRAIGHT, POST HOME GSC VICTORY
OVER HENDERSON STATE
RUSSELLVILLE,
Arkansas
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Arkansas Tech
Women’s Basketball concluded its three-game homestand
here Thursday by posting a 68-45 victory over Henderson
State in Gulf South Conference action at Tucker
Coliseum.
With the win, Tech improves to 17-5 overall and 7-2 in
the GSC West Division and posted its third straight
victory and its 10th win in its last 12 games.
Tech, who received 26 votes in this week’s USA Today/ESPN
WBCA NCAA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, used a
defense that limited the Lady Reddies to just 16 second
half points and 24 percent field goal shooting for the
contest. HSU was the third straight Tech opponent to be
held under 50 points.
“At
halftime, we talked about stopping their (HSU’s) drive.
I thought we did a much better job of challenging shots
in the second half,” Golden Suns Head Coach Dave
Wilbers said. “They are a very athletic team and got
us out of our game early on tonight.”
Tech, who led 30-29 at the half, held the Lady Reddies
(9-12 overall, 3-6 GSC) to just four points over the
first 12 minutes of the second half. HSU opened the half
missing 17 of its first 18 shots and finished the half
shooting just 17 percent from the field (5-for-30).
While Tech’s defense held HSU’s offense in check, the
Golden Suns opened the second half on a 22-3 run to push
out to a 52-32 lead with 12 minutes left in the game.
Tech’s run was keyed by eight points from junior guard
Brittany Gottsponer (Morrilton, Ark.). Gottsponer
finished with a season-high 16 points.
Tech’s lead would eventually grow to 57-33 with 8:26
left in the game on a free throw by junior forward
Heissy Robledo (Guaviare, Colombia), before HSU used
a 5-0 run to pull within 57-37 with 6:56 left in the
game. From that point, Tech outscored HSU, 11-8, to post
the 23-point win.
“We
had a period in the second half where we were able to
knock down some open looks,” the second-year Tech coach
said.
In
addition to Gottsponer’s 16 points, Robledo recorded her
career double-double with a career-high 15 points and a
career-high 14 rebounds, while senior All-American
forward Amanda Grappe (Benton, Ark.) posted her
seventh double-double of the season with 12 points and
12 rebounds. Tech finished the game with a 46-39 edge on
the glass.
Tech opened the game by scoring the first four points,
before HSU used a 10-2 run to push out to a 10-6 lead
just a little over three minutes into the contest.
Following HSU’s run, Tech used a 12-3 run capped by a
lay-up from freshman center Taise Da Silva
(Americano, Brazil) to push out to an 18-13 lead with
12:17 left in the game.
HSU, though, used an 8-2 run capped by a free throw from
Milan Allen to push in front 21-20 with 3:57 left in the
half. From that point, the two teams traded the lead
until sophomore Henriette Ellingsen (Bergen,
Norway) drilled a three-pointer with 35 seconds left to
send Tech into the half with its lead.
Trenia Barbee led HSU with 10 points, while Asaish Lowe
added six points and five boards in the loss. Tech held
HSU’s leading scoring Chanlee Bottoms to three points on
1-of-8 shooting from the 3-point line. Bottoms entered
the game averaging a team-best 12.4 points per game.
For
the game, Tech shot 47 percent from the field and 47
percent from the three-point line, while HSU shot 24
percent and 21 percent respectively. Tech committed 19
turnovers and was outscored 11-9 on second chance points
as the Lady Reddies collected 21 offensive rebounds for
the game. HSU had 16 turnovers, but Tech scored 20
points off those miscues.
Tech will begin a two-game road swing on Saturday, Feb.
14, when they travel to Searcy, Ark., to face Harding in
a 5:30 p.m. contest at Rhodes Fieldhouse. Tech picked up
a 69-59 win over the Lady Bison in Russellville on Jan.
17. Harding improved to 17-6 overall and 3-6 in the GSC
with its 79-61 win Thursday at Southern Arkansas.
“We
have to get ready and go play a very good Harding team
on it homecourt on Saturday,” Wilbers added.
Henderson
State Box Score
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Tech Athletics -- |