Lady Lions Bounce Rams, 51-47

Defense prepares for OLLU Saints on Monday

Jones, Harris come off the bench, lift SAGU

AUSTIN, Texas -- Southwestern Assemblies of God University managed to escape the Mary E. Branch Gymnasium with a 51-47 victory over Huston-Tillotson University after their poor shooting left them out on a limb.

Normally reliable in their halfcourt offense, the Lady Lions were held to 31% shooting against an inspired Tillotson squad who could connect on only 32% themselves. Even their conference leading (70%) free throw accuracy failed the Purple Pride on the road. They made only 8-of-18. What saved them from going down were nine three-point baskets and their defensive mojo.

It was the 10th time this season the Lions have held an opponent to 55 points or less.

Southwestern, despite being outrebounded 40-33, forced 19 turnovers and reached double figures in steals to rally from a 22-20 halftime deficit.

"We didn't shoot particularly well," admitted Head Coach Arlon Beadles. "But the ladies competed well and found a way to win. Road wins are seldom easy in this conference."

SAGU improved their overall record to 19-8 and 14-5 in the Red River Athletic Conference. They remain one game behind second place Texas Wesleyan University (23-4, 15-4) and a game in front of Our Lady of the Lake University (17-8, 13-6). Eighth place Tillotson (8-18, 7-12) dropped their fourth game in a row, all to teams with winning records in the top six in the league.

Monday: SAGU (7-1 on the road) vs OLLU (7-3 at home)

On Monday the Lady Lions will be in San Antonio to face a very talented Our Lady squad who are nipping at their heels. The Saints have won six of their past nine games, including four in a row at home. They routed Paul Quinn College on Saturday, 97-56. The game will be OLLU's home finale. (Access the game below)

The Blue Halos are 7-3 against the RRAC when playing on their home hardwood inside the Mabee Center. They handed the Lady Lions their biggest loss, 82-61, on January 17. It was the only time Southwestern has surrendered 70 or more points in a single game. The Lady Saints shot lights out that night, making 18-of-30 beyond the arc, by far their best effort of the season from the perimeter. They average 8.5 threes per game, which ranks #3 in the NAIA. SAGU has been a pedestrian-like 6-5 since then. A Southwestern win would help them come close to clinching third place.

While currently working through a minefield of injuries, including one that keeps their top scorer from starting, SAGU still carries a 7-1 road mark versus the RRAC. They will conclude the regular season with away games next weekend, February 26 at Bacone College (16-8, 10-8) and Feb. 28 at Langston University (22-4, 17-1).

Cats Stats from Austin

On Saturday the Lady Lions regained the lead (they trailed at the half, 22-20) and protected it until the final horn. Chelsea Jones (San Antonio, Tx / Cornerstone Christian) took only 11 shots as she scored 16 points. She drained four treys and was credited with a game high four thefts. Rachel Harris (Joshua, Tx / Bethesda Christian) stopped and popped three triples as the two seniors outscored the Lady Rams' bench 26-4.

Stephanie Hawkins (DeSoto, Tx / DeSoto HS) added eight points, while Heather Jefferson (Conroe, Tx / Conroe HS) and Jirah Rodriguez (Georgetown, Tx / Georgetown HS) tossed in six each. Sierra Hankins (Welch, Ok / Welch HS) ripped 10 boards, while Rodriguez snared five.

Freshman Andrea Lugo (San Antonio, Tx / Somerset HS), the heir apparent at point guard, got the start, her first of the season.

Porsche Revely led the Lady Rams with a game-high 17 points. Kandice Smith added 11 points and a game-best 13 rebounds. HT averages 67.4 points per game but could muster only 47 against the Lady Lions defense.

Tune In to Monday's Game vs OLLU

Our Lady of the Lake University is the only other school who currently broadcasts their games on the internet. Here's the scoop.

Fans can access the broadcast from a computer, ipad or iphone. Or 10 minutes before broadcast, you can do a search for OLLUSaints, and it will come up on iphone/ipad.

They usually start about 10 minutes prior to the opening tip. Mike Thompson, the voice of the Saints, does a pre-interview with the coach; Rusty Kennedy. OLLU Sports Information Director, Patty Constantin, does an outstanding job promoting athletics and has played a critical role in keeping their livestreaming efforts current.

They will also be making the play-by-play written accounts of the game available on LIVESTATS. Access this through  their website. On the home page at OLLU, click on the left column for Athletics. Then click on Women's Basketball. Their home page's central column has a variety of items about the team. Locate NAIA Stats (Live Stats) and click. The page that opens will show their entire schedule. Scroll down to Monday's game and click on the blue (((W))) on the right. Voila!