Free Throws Make
Difference As SAU Women Top HSU
ARKADELPHIA, Ark. -- Southern Arkansas
made 21 of 23 free throws, helping the Riderettes claim a 73-70 victory over
the Henderson State University Lady Reddies Saturday night at the Wells Center.
The win improved SAU’s record to 9-11 overall and 3-7 in the Gulf South Conference,
while HSU slipped to 5-14 and 2-7.
Meah Biley, who made all eight of her foul shots, scored
20 points and had 10 rebounds for SAU. Mesha McClodden added 19 points, while
Desheka Porchia scored 12 points and had eight rebounds.
Mandy Hill led the Lady Reddies with 19 points, while
Rachel Keeton scored 18 points and pulled down 18 rebounds. Jodi Delaney had
nine points and eight boards, and Crystal Oates scored eight points and
collected six rebounds. Henderson could not pull out the win despite shooting
48.1 percent (26 of 54) from the field. SAU shot just 36.5 percent, making 23
of 63 shots.
Henderson State led 27-24 at halftime, rallying from an
early five-point deficit to take a 19-13 lead. The Riderettes cut that
six-point lead in half by intermission, as McClodden knocked down three
three-pointers in the latter stages of the opening half.
The Lady Reddies built a five-point lead midway through
the second half, then after the Riderettes battled back to tie the game, HSU
went back up by five, 56-51, with six minutes to play. Without making a basket,
SAU came back to take a 62-59 lead. The Riderettes scored seven straight points
from the line in a span of 49 seconds to go ahead with 3:31 remaining. Keeton
scored from inside the paint and Hill knocked down two free throws to give
Henderson a 63-62 lead, but Biley’s putback gave Southern Arkansas a one-point
lead with 2:38 left.
Keeton scored again, giving Henderson a 65-64 edge, but
that would be the Lady Reddies’ last lead of the game. Porchia hit a
three-pointer at the 1:54 mark, and after a free throw by Hill, Blair Wilkerson
made a layup to make it 69-66 with 1:20 left. A layup by Bridget Branscum put
SAU up by five, but Oates scored for Henderson to make it 71-68 with 23.8
seconds remaining. With 21.8 to play, Branscum missed the first of two foul
shots, marking the Riderettes’ first miss in 20 free throw attempts. She made
the second, though, giving SAU a four-point lead.
Robin Rae Burns scored for Henderson with 10.9 seconds to
play, making it 72-70. Branscum was fouled again with 8.6 seconds left, and
made only one of two free throws. HSU needed a three-pointer to force overtime,
but Hill was called for an offensive foul with 1.5 seconds left, ending HSU’s
hopes.
The Lady Reddies will be in Searcy on Monday night, when
they will take on Harding University at 6 p.m. The game can be heard locally on
KVRC 1240 AM and over the internet at http://www.hsu.edu/dept/ath.