March 12, 2005

Box Score

MONROE, La. - Step aside Cinderella. Trade in those slippers for a pair of high tops because the Mavericks are headed to the "Big Dance."

The University of Texas at Arlington women's basketball will make its first NCAA Tournament appearance after a 60-54 victory over Louisiana-Monroe in the championship game of the 2005 O'Reilly Auto Parts/Southland Conference Women's Basketball Tournament here Saturday afternoon.

UTA will take a 21-9 record into the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. First round game will be either March 19 or 20 with the site and opponent to be named. Pairings for the tournament will be announced Sunday at 4 p.m. on ESPN.

"It is fun to set a goal and have them accomplish it. It is a thrill to be the first team to go (to the NCAAs)," said UTA Women's Basketball Coach Donna Capps.

UTA got 22 points from senior forward Rola Ogunoye, who missed all but six minutes of the first half with two fouls. Sophomore guard Terra Wallace, named the tournament's MVP, poured in 14 points and a career-high 10 rebounds. Junior forward Ashley Bobb added 12.

"She was so explosive at first,' said Capps of Ogunoye. "She wanted to do so much for the team she just kind of lost it for a minute and made a bad decision. That is uncharacteristic of her. We were able to stay close in the first half without her and that was big for us."

UTA grabbed 18 offensive rebounds as they out-rebounded the Lady Indians, 42-29.

ULM (22-8) had its 13-game win streak snapped. All-tournament member Nina Randle had 13 to lead the Lady Indians.

UTA went on a 13-0 run to rally from a 40-37 deficit to take a 50-40 lead after five straight points from Ogunoye with 10:09 to play. ULM missed six straight shots during a 6:24 scoreless spell.

ULM cut the lead to five, 54-49, after a Gerline Guillaume bucket with 1:50 to play.

After Wallace made two free throws, Guillaume canned a 3-pointer to make it 56-52 with 1:23 remaining.

"We had to re-focus at that point and they did a good job of coming together," said Capps.

The Mavs made 4-of-5 free throws in the final 47 seconds to seal the win.

UTA came out hot in the first half as Ogunoye hit her first four shots in the opening 5:00 to give the Mavs a 13-8 with 14:43 to play. But She was whistled with her second personal foul with 14:24 to play in the first half and went to the bench for the rest of the half.

ULM scored four straight points to cut the lead to 13-2 after a three-pointer by O'Neal and a free throw from Randle.

UTA took its largest lead of the half when Wallace and Wesley hit back-to-back shots for a 20-14 lead with 9:26. The Mavs hit 75 percent (9 of 12) from the field in the first 10:00.

But ULM rallied and took the lead 29-28, after Randle made two of three free throws with 1:35 to play.

NOTES: Ogunoye was named to the All-SLC Tournament Team along with Nina Randle and Aishie Banks of ULM, Tamara Thompson of Texas State, and Wallace was named the MVP. The UTA women's team will host an NCAA Selection Show Party from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Buck N' Loons on South Cooper in Arlington. Head coach Donna Capps and the entire team will be available. Commemorative SLC Championship t-shirts will also be on sale.

O'Reilly Auto Parts/ SLC Women's Championship

Texas-Arlington (20-9)

Graves 2-7 0-2 4, Bobb 5-12 2-2 12, Wesley 3-7 2-2 8, Wallace 4-12 5-6 14, Ogunoye 10-16 2-4 22, Thompson 0-3 0-0 0, Buchanan 0-0 0-0 0, Riles 0-1 0-0 0, Lane 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 24-59 11-16 60.

Louisiana-Monroe (22-7)

O'Neal 2-6 0-0 5, Guillaume 3-7 0-0 8, Biley 1-6 1-2 3, Banks 3-4 3-4 9, Randle 4-9 5-7 13, S. Williams 0-2 0-0 0, Howard 0-4 0-0 0, E. Williams 3-5 0-0 6, Brown 2-6 0-0 4, Winston 3-4 0-0 6. Totals: 21-53 9-13 54.

Halftime: ULM 31, UTA 30. Three-point field goals: UTA 1-6 (Wallace 1-3, Thompson 0-2, Wesley 0-1), ULM 3-11 (Guillaume 2-3, O'Neal 1-3, Randle 0-2, Howard 0-2, S. Williams 0-1). Rebounds: UTA 42 (Wallace 10), ULM 29 (Guillaume 7). Assists: UTA 10 (Wallace 5), ULM 12 (O'Neal 4). Turnovers: UTA 13 (Wallace 6, ULM 11 (O'Neal 4). Blocks: UTA 5 (Wallace 2), ULM 5 (Randle 3). Steals: UTA 10 (Wesley 3), ULM 8 (Randle 3). Total fouls: UTA 14, ULM 16. Fouled out: O'Neal. Technical fouls: None. Att.: 1,647.