MAGNOLIA, Arkansas – The Ouachita women's basketball team earned its second straight Great American Conference road victory on Saturday, but needed an extra five minutes to do so in a 72-67 win over Southern Arkansas.
The game featured 12 lead changes and 10 tie scores. After holding a five-point lead at halftime, the Tigers (4-3, 2-1 GAC) came out in the third period and captured their largest lead of the game at nine with 7:07 remaining in the period. Ouachita never allowed SAU (6-2, 1-2) to hold a lead larger than three. The Tigers led for nearly 30 minutes of the game.
SAU took a two-point lead with 3:19 remaining in the fourth period, but Ouachita's
Heidi Robinson answered with a made jumper on the ensuing possession to tie the game at 63-63. Neither team scored in the final three minutes to force overtime.
In the extra period, Robinson and
Madeleine Tipton accounted for all of Ouachita's scoring. The Tigers held SAU to just two made field goals in the final five minutes, which allowed the Tigers to build a seven-point lead with 40 seconds remaining, enough to hold off the Muleriders for the win.
The Tigers ended the game at 43 percent from the field (32-for-75) and held a 49-41 lead in rebounding.
Laney Mears led all scorers with 20 points.
Heidi Robinson and
Grayson Fairless also reached double digits in scoring with 16 and 10 points, respectively.
Joey Babel was the only player in the game to reach double digits in the rebound category with a career-high 10.
Ouachita has one more game prior to the Christmas break, hosting Arkansas-Monticello next Saturday, December 16 at Bill Vining Arena in Arkadelphia. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m.
