Jan. 31, 2004
Box Score
BEAUMONT, Texas - The University of Texas at Arlington women's basketball team forced Lamar into 34 turnovers enroute to a 66-47 victory Saturday afternoon at the Montagne Center.
The Lady Mavs (11-8, 5-2 SLC) made their game plan be known early that they wanted to push the ball inside as Rola Ogunoye scored the team's first two field goals of the game. LU was content not to allow this to happen as they packed it down on the Lady Mavs posts, not allowing them to receive the entry feed.
LU (4-13, 1-6 SLC) matched UTA shot-for-shoot through most of the first half and when Rashekii Howard hit a pair of free throws with 9:21 remaining in the half, the score was tied at 13.
On the ensuing possession, Sheena Johnson made a strong post move to put UTA ahead for good. Krystal Buchanan would then steal the ball and when her short jumper would not fall, Ogunoye would clean up the mess and convert the three-point play.
Howard would trim the deficit to three points before the Lady Mavs would go on an 8-0 run over the next 1:27 to open up a double-digit advantage. Johnson started the scoring with an easy bucket down low and Buchanan and Terra Wallace followed with consecutive triples.
The most exciting play of the game came int the game's next few seconds as with the shot clock winding down and LU regaining possession just at midcourt, LaToya Carson launched a running 40-footer that banked in to cut the lead to single digits before the Lady Mavs would take a 30-22 lead into recess.
LU came out in the second half and went on a 6-2 run to trim the deficit to just four points with 17:20 to play. UTA quickly responded by scoring five points in the next 10 seconds as Lewis connected on a triple and Ogunoye took advantage of a steal for an easy layup.
The Lady Mavs would use the momentum from those two baskets to start a 25-8 run over the next 7:19 to push the lead to as many as 21-points. Wallace connected on three field easy field goals as LU went to a full court press to stretch the lead.
Tamesha Graves would give the Lady Mavs their largest lead of the game at 22-points when she connected on a three-pointer from the left baseline with 5:57 to play.
Ogunoye paced three Lady Mavs in double figures with 15 points. She was joined by Wallace with 13 and Lewis with 10. LU was led by Carson's 16 points.
For the game, UTA shot 24-for-67 (.358) from the field and 11-of-12 (.917) from the free throw line.
The Lady Mavs return to action on Wednesday evening as they look to avenge an earlier season loss to Louisiana-Monroe. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. at the Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
