HSU, OBU women set to Battle

ARKADELPHIA -- After Southern Arkansas snapped Henderson State's program-record seven straight wins against Great American Conference opponents, the Reddies look to take the short trip across Highway 7 tonight to take down Ouachita Baptist in the Battle of the Ravine at Bill Vining Arena.

The Reddies (11-5, 7-3) found that the Lady Muleriders (4-12, 3-7) had the Key to unlock their defense as Sue Key, a Division I transfer from Minnesota, hung 40 points against the Reddies in the 78-63 win at Duke Wells Arena. She put up 24 in the opening quarter to put the Reddies down 32-12 after 10 minutes, but Henderson State narrowed the gap to 35-21 with 6:37 remaining.

Southern Arkansas closed out the half with an 17-9 run for a 52-29 halftime buffer. Henderson was unable to recover, despite outscoring the Lady Muleriders by eight in the second half.

The Reddies average 71.4 points per game, while leading the GAC in defense, allowing 64.4 points per game. They are the No. 4 3-point shooting team in the GAC at 34.1 percent and their defense allows 26 percent of shots from distance to lead the league.

The Tigers (9-6, 5-4) are coming off a 84-67 loss at Arkansas Tech (13-2, 9-2) Saturday afternoon. The Tigers got on the board first, Maija Gertsone putting them on the board with a trey at the 6:56 mark and they stretched their lead to 8-2 nearly two minutes later, but the Golden Suns took a 19-17 advantage and led 35-34 at the break.

Ouachita took the lead early in the second half, but it was the last time the team saw the lead. The Golden Suns regained the advantage, stretching it to 21 at the 4:25 mark.

"The second half of the fourth quarter, we struggled," said Tigers head coach Gary Crowder. "Arkansas Tech is a very, very talented team, got a great tradition, a great program... We know that's going to be a tough game. We were in the game basically until the fourth quarter, and, to me, it looked like we wore down a little bit. We did not execute defensively. We allowed too many easy baskets, didn't do the things we normally can do defensively. We felt like that was probably the difference in the game."

Crowder said Henderson has two main strengths.

"They've got a very talented guard in Pink Jones," he said. "She's very athletic. She could have gone to a Division I school, she was offered by a Division I school and then changed and went to Henderson State. She gives them a great athlete at the guard position that can really score around the basket. She's not a great perimeter shooter.

"The other guards they're going to put on the floor are some of the best 3-point shooters in the conference. They're averaging making nine 3-pointers a game. We're going to have to try to defend well on the perimeter with those individuals, and yet not let Pink take over around the basket inside."

The Tigers are averaging 68.6 points per game, while allowing 66.9 by opponents.

One of Henderson's key players, Tori Thompson, was injured during Thursday's game against Harding, but head coach Jill Thomas was not available for comment on Thompson or the game at presstime. Taylor Bowles, a senior guard from Avery, Texas, led Ouachita in scoring with 11.7 per game in nine games before she went down with a knee injury.

A year ago, the Reddies squeezed out a 75-74 road win at Bill Vining Arena, but the Tigers rolled to a 77-58 win at Duke Wells Arena. Crowder said he plans to start 5-6 freshman Gertsone at point guard. She averages 5.3 points per game, but "she's the glue that holds it together," Crowder said.

Kori Bullard, a 6-2 senior from Lake Hamilton, is also expected to start, but Crowder said she will be a game-time decision due to her suffering from the flu. She is one of the top 3-point shooters for the Tigers, but locks down the defense at the basket.

Guard Madison Brittain, a 6-0 sophomore, averages 8.4 points per game.

"She has long arms, and she is a good 3-point shooter as well," Crowder said.

Chasidee Owens, a 5-11 sophomore, and Morgan Miller, a 5-10 senior, are also among Crowder's planned starters. Owens fills in as a back-up point guard after the loss of Bowles earlier this season and averages 9.3 points per game. Miller averages 9.5 points and leads the team in 3-point shooting at 48.8 percent.

Alivia Huell, a Malvern graduate who transferred from Little Rock, is also expected to get significant time on the court tonight. She averages 7.4 points per game and shoots 47 percent from the field.

Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.

Sports on 01/23/2018

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