HUNTSVILLE ? Led by Lydia Gonzales who scored 18 points and pulled down 15 rebounds, Sam Houston State battled Stephen F. Austin tooth and nail for 33 minutes before the Lumberjacks pulled away to walk out of Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum Saturday afternoon with a 76-58 Southland Conference women's basketball victory.
Nikki Carr went 7-for-10 from the field for 15 points while pulling down 13 rebounds and dishing out eight assists to lead Stephen F. Austin (10-14, SLC 7-5). Jordan Ford and Natashia Green each added 12 points and Chantol Drennan scored 11 for SFA.
Whitney Smith scored 16 and Brittany Brooks added 13 points for Sam Houston State (1-24, SLC 0-12).
Stephen F. Austin led from buzzer to buzzer, but the Bearkats kept in close. Down by six at halftime 34-28, Sam Houston cut the Lumberjacks early second half 16-point lead to eight, 59-51 with 7:20 to play after a pair of free throws by Britney Harris.
SFA closed out the game with a 17-7 run in the final seven minutes.
Key for the Jacks were 44 points in the paint, 16 coming after offensive rebounds as Stephen F. Austin out-rebounded the Bearkats 48-32. The Lumberjack bench accounted for 29 points.
Sam Houston State will play host to Texas-Arlington Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in their next home game.
Box Score
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 76, SAM HOUSTON ST 58
2/23/08 3 p.m. at Huntsville, TX (Johnson Coliseum)
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN (10-14, SLC 7-5)
Carr, Nikki 7-10 0-0 15; Green, Natashia 4-7 2-2 12; Ford, Jordan 6-12 0-0
12; Drennan, Chantol 5-8 1-3 11; Gaines, Jessica 3-7 0-0 8; Davis,
Antoinette 3-9 2-2 8; Alexander, Ebony 1-6 2-2 4; Goodner, Decreasha 0-9 4-6
4; Domino, Jackie 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 30-70 11-15 76.
SAM HOUSTON ST ( 1-24, SLC 0-12)
Gonzales, Lydia 9-15 0-0 18; Smith, Whitney 6-12 4-6 16; Brooks, Brittany
5-9 2-2 13; Hartley, Ausha 2-7 1-2 5; Harris, Britney 1-5 2-3 4; Daniel,
Deltrice 1-2 0-0 2; Bennett, LaToya 0-3 0-0 0; Texada, Shlundria 0-1 0-0 0;
Sanders, Katie 0-0 0-0 0; Ailshie, Leasa 0-6 0-0 0. Totals 24-60 9-13 58.
Stephen F. Austin............. 34 42 - 76
Sam Houston St................ 28 30 - 58
3-point goals--Stephen F. Austin 5-15 (Green, Natashia 2-3; Gaines, Jessica
2-5; Carr, Nikki 1-2; Alexander, Ebony 0-1; Goodner, Decreasha 0-4), Sam
Houston St 1-14 (Brooks, Brittany 1-4; Smith, Whitney 0-1; Hartley, Ausha
0-2; Harris, Britney 0-1; Ailshie, Leasa 0-5; Gonzales, Lydia 0-1). Fouled
out--Stephen F. Austin-None, Sam Houston St-None. Rebounds--Stephen F.
Austin 48 (Carr, Nikki 13), Sam Houston St 32 (Gonzales, Lydia 15).
Assists--Stephen F. Austin 24 (Carr, Nikki 8), Sam Houston St 23 (Ailshie,
Leasa 7). Total fouls--Stephen F. Austin 16, Sam Houston St 12. Technical
fouls--Stephen F. Austin-None, Sam Houston St-None. A-259
