LAKE CHARLES – Sophomore guard Syndey Carr and junior guard
Amanda Johnson come up big in the Huskies' overtime win over McNeese in Southland Conference women's basketball Saturday afternoon in Burton Coliseum.
Carr led HBU's scoring, as she posted her first double-double with 19 points, 12 rebounds and four steals. Johnson shot 44.4 percent from the field, putting up 17 points, while sophomore guard
Shannon Jones contributed 11 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Junior center Veronkia Kirienko added eight points and 11 rebounds. Junior center
Kennedy Collins also added a career-high eight points and pulled down four boards.
McNeese was led by two players with double-double performances. Bre'Ashlee put up 19 points and brought down 10 rebounds, while Dede Sheppard scored 10 points and had 12 rebounds. Other contributers include, Jasmyn Carswell with 14 points and seven rebounds and Keara Hudnall had nine points and four boards.
HBU shot 38.4 percent from the floor, went 3-of-19 from the 3-point range and 8-of-19 from behind the line. McNeese shot 33.8 percent from the field, went 3-of-15 from the 3-point line and 14-of-23 from the stripe. HBU outrebounded McNeese 52-47 and outscored the Cowgirls off the bench 23-3.
Johnson, Kirienko and Jones combined for a 6-1 run to lead 58-53 with 2:55 left to go in overtime. The next six-points were back-and-forth affair, but the Huskies began to pull away, as the Huskies led for as many as seven points. The lead was cut by three, after a bucket by Gabby Guidry, but Kirienko soon followed with two shots from the line to seal a 67-61 win.
The Huskies were down 6-5 early in the second quarter, then a Collings 3-pointer gave the Huskies a two-point edge. The Huskies began to pull away with shots from Johnson and Carr, but the Cowgirls came out of a timeout with a four-point run to make it an even ball game. The first quarter ended 16-13, after Daub and Johnson contributed to a 4-1 run.
McNeese started the second quarter off with the first nine points, before
Sydney Carr drained a bucket from behind the arc to start a seven point run, including a jumper by Jones, 23-22. A Gabby Guidry three put the Cowgirls on top, but a bucket by
Kennedy Collins from
Shannon Jones made it even with 1:46 to go in the half. With seconds to go, Jasmyn Carswell hit a layup that ended the half with a Cowgirl two-point advantage.
The Huskies worked toward a 33-31 lead late in the third quarter, after trailing for as many as four points. The Cowgirls soon made their way back up, as they went on a 9-1 run. A 3-point play by
Sydney Carr sent the Huskies and the Cowgirls into the final quarter, 40-37.
Carr and Kirienko were responsible for the first four points of the fourth to take the lead by one. The Cowgirls matched their efforts, gaining a three-point lead, but Johnson drained a three-pointer to put the Huskies right back in it. With five minutes to go, the Huskies went on a seven-point surge highlighted by four points from Johnson. Down to its final minute, HBU led 52-48, but Bre'Ashlee Jones hit two free-throws to put the Cowgirls within two. A Dede Sheppard layup made it an even ball game that sent the teams into overtime.
