Box Score (html)
WEATHERFORD, Okla. – SWOSU Women's Basketball topped Arkansas-Monticello 78-56 in their home opener to win their second-consecutive game since coming back from the Thanksgiving Break. The Lady Bulldogs built their lead in the first half, going into the locker room up 19 over the Cotton Blossoms and never looked back.
Three players scored in double figures in the first 20 minutes as the Lady Dawgs built a 41-22 lead through the first two quarters.
Hailey Tucker,
Tyra Aska, and
Taylor Hedrick all scored 10 points while
Whitney Dunn added six to the Bulldog effort. Defensively in the half, SWOSU held the Cotton Blossoms to 25-percent shooting (8-31) from the field while the Dawgs shot with a 43-percent efficiency (14-32).
In the second half, SWOSU outscored UAM by four points in the third quarter before being topped by one point in the final quarter to close out the game. The Lady Bulldogs ended the game without ever relinquishing the lead while leading for 37:30 of total game time.
As a team, the Dawgs finished the contest shooting 44 percent from the floor (30-68) while knocking down six three-point shots in the game. SWOSU outrebounded UAM 52-38 while capitalizing on 17 Cotton Blossom turnovers that led to 24 points. Tucker and Aska ended with a game high 14 points apiece, followed by other starters Dunn (8),
Savannah Gray (7), and
Hayden Priddy (4). The Lady Bulldog bench stepped up to score 31 points in the game, led by Hedrick with 12 on 2-3 from the three-point line and
Shalie McAlister with eight on 2-2 shooting from deep.
"I'm just proud of our girls for coming out tonight, I thought they really set a precedence in the first quarter," said Head Coach
Kelsi Musick. "Obviously we still have some things to work on but I really like how we came out and played early on. It set a tone, especially defensively. We also did a really good job of sticking to the game plan and being able to make adjustments as the game went on. The fact that everyone stepped up and fulfilled the roles tonight is very pleasing."
The win makes SWOSU a perfect 2-0 since returning to action after Thanksgiving Break, and improves them to 4-2 on the season and 2-1 in GAC play heading into Saturday's home game against Southern Arkansas set for a 1 pm tipoff inside Rankin Williams Fieldhouse.
