HUNTSVILLE, TX ? DeWanna Bonner, a 6-4 junior who was a first team All-Southeast Conference selection last year and played for the USA's gold medalist team at the FIBA World Under 21 championships in Moscow last summer, scored 24 points in 21 minutes of action to lead No. 16 Auburn to an 80-36 non-conference women's basketball victory over Sam Houston State Wednesday night at Johnson Coliseum.
Auburn (11-1) trailed only once, 5-4 on a three-point basket by Deltrice Daniel three minutes into the contest. The Tigers went on a 16-4 run to build an 18-9 lead at 12:14 in the first half. Auburn was up 34-16 at intermission and ended the game up 44 points.
Hampered by a definite size disadvantage, Sam Houston (1-10) was also slowed by a bout of the flu which threatened to sideline several players.
Daniel led the Bearkats with 12 points. Brittany Brooks and Kristin Ford each scored six points.
The taller Tigers out-rebounded Sam Houston 44 to 23 with Tamela McCorvey and Sherell Hobbs each pulling downs nine boards. Auburn outscored the Kats 44-10 in the paint. The Tigers were 32-of-55 from the field (58.2 percent) while Sam Houston was 13-of-54 (24.1 percent).
A bright spot for the Bearkats was the play of point guard Leasa Ailshie, a transfer from Connors State, who saw her first action of the season after missing the first 10 games with a wrist injury. Ailshie scored five points and dished out six assists.
Auburn scored 28 points off Sam Houston's 29 turnovers but the Bearkat defense forced the Tigers into 25 miscues.
Sam Houston State will now break for the Christmas holidays. The Bearkats return to action Saturday, December 29, when they play host to Louisiana Tech.
Auburn completed a three-game, five-day road swing through Texas, falling to No. 9 Texas A&M 62-60 on Saturday, then defeating Stephen F. Austin by 14 before coming to Huntsville.
Box Score
AUBURN 80, SAM HOUSTON ST 36
AUBURN (11-1)
Bonner, DeWanna 10-12 4-4 24; Smalley, Alli 5-7 2-2 12; Ketcham, Ruth 3-5
1-2 9; Greenleaf, Jordan 4-7 0-0 8; McCorvey, Tamela 3-6 1-2 7; Hobbs,
Sherell 1-4 5-6 7; Ogubie, Alexis 2-5 0-0 4; Moore, Cassie 1-2 1-2 3;
Wallace, Juanitta 1-1 0-0 2; Pickard, Milaika 1-1 0-2 2; Jackson, Trevesha
1-5 0-0 2. Totals 32-55 14-20 80.
SAM HOUSTON ST (1-10)
Daniel, Deltrice 5-10 0-0 12; Ford, Kristin 2-4 2-2 6; Brooks, Brittany 2-10
2-2 6; Ailshie, Leasa 1-7 2-2 5; Texada, Shlundria 1-4 1-1 3; Harris,
Britney 1-5 0-0 2; Gonzales, Lydia 1-5 0-0 2; Gordon, Nicole 0-4 0-0 0;
Bennett, LaToya 0-4 0-0 0; Sanders, Katie 0-0 0-0 0; Lynch, Ronishia 0-1 0-0
0. Totals 13-54 7-7 36.
AUBURN........................ 34 46 - 80
Sam Houston St................ 16 20 - 36
3-point goals--AUBURN 2-7 (Ketcham, Ruth 2-4; Smalley, Alli 0-1; McCorvey,
Tamela 0-1; Moore, Cassie 0-1), Sam Houston St 3-15 (Daniel, Deltrice 2-3;
Ailshie, Leasa 1-4; Brooks, Brittany 0-4; Texada, Shlundria 0-2; Harris,
Britney 0-1; Gordon, Nicole 0-1). Fouled out--AUBURN-None, Sam Houston
St-Ford, Kristin. Rebounds--AUBURN 44 (McCorvey, Tamela 9; Hobbs, Sherell
9), Sam Houston St 23 (Ford, Kristin 5). Assists--AUBURN 28 (McCorvey,
Tamela 10), Sam Houston St 12 (Ailshie, Leasa 6). Total fouls--AUBURN 11,
Sam Houston St 16. Technical fouls--AUBURN-None, Sam Houston St-None. A-247
