NACOGDOCHES, Texas – HBU had three players finish in double figures and the Huskies as a team converted a season-low eight turnovers, but Stephen F. Austin shot 53 percent from the floor and defeated HBU, 72-67, Saturday afternoon from Johnson Coliseum.
Erin McGarrachan led HBU (9-13 overall, 3-8 SLC) with 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting and 2-of-2 from the free throw line. She also had three rebounds.
Monet Neal scored 12 points and pulled down a team-best six rebounds, along with two steals and one assist.
Rachel Arthur was the third Husky in double figures, as she chipped in with 11 points and had three rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Heidi Sihvola dished out a team-best four assists, while she scored seven points. HBU shot 49 percent from the floor in the game.
SFA (15-6 overall, 8-2 SLC) was led by Porsha Roberts with 24 points and 10 rebounds. She went 11-of-15 from the floor and 2-of-4 from the line, while also recording two blocks and two steals. Taylor Ross nearly had a double-double with 18 points and a game-high nine assists. Tierany Henderson was the third Ladyjack to score in double figures, as she finished with 16 points and three blocks.
The teams exchanged baskets and were tied 6-all before HBU used an 8-2 run to take a 14-8 lead with 15:33 to go in the first half.
SFA cut a 16-11 deficit to one point, the run culminated by a layup by Charisma Alexander, but the Huskies maintained the lead with a Neal free throw followed by an
Ashleigh Nwanguma layup to give HBU a 19-15 lead.
HBU still led by four, 21-17, followed by another layup by Nwanguma, but SFA scored six-straight points to take a 23-21 lead with 10:44 remaining in the half.
The Huskies took the lead right back with a three-pointer by
Tayler Jefferson, then increased their advantage to five as
Ekemini Essien forced a steal and passed the ball to
Maisie Elston, who went in for a layup, as HBU led the Ladyjacks, 26-23, with just under 10 minutes remaining.
HBU used a 6-0 run to lead SFA 34-26 and force the Ladyjacks to take a timeout with 6:03 remaining in the first half. SFA answered with a trey by Henderson to cut the deficit to five, 34-29. SFA outscored the Huskies, 12-6, to close the half, as HBU led SFA at the break, 40-37.
McGarrachan and Arthur each scored eight points to lead HBU in the first half, while Henderson and Ross had 11 and 10 points, respectively. HBU shot 59 percent from the floor in the half compared to 58 percent for the Ladyjacks.
SFA started the second half on a 9-0 run to take a 46-40 lead just 3:53 into the half and forcing HBU to take a timeout. HBU weathered the storm and scored six-straight points, thanks to back-to-back SFA turnovers, as the Huskies tied the contest at 46-all with 15:13 remaining in the game.
SFA took a four-point lead following a layup by Roberts, but a three-pointer by Sihvola, followed by an Arthur steal and a jumper by McGarrachan gave HBU a one-point lead, 56-55, with 8:22 to go in regulation.
The teams battled back and forth as there would be six ties in a span of five-and-a-half minutes – 13 ties total. SFA broke the final tie in the game with five unanswered points, prompting HBU to call a timeout down 70-65 with 39 seconds remaining. McGarrachan would hit two free throws to cut the deficit to three, but Brittany Matthew hit both of her freebies with 17 seconds left to make it a two-possession game.
McGarrachan scored 10 second-half points to lead HBU, while Roberts paced SFA with 15 points. HBU shot 37 percent in the second half compared to 48 percent for the Ladyjacks.
HBU faces Lamar Thursday, Feb. 12 at 7 pm from the Montagne Center in Beaumont.
