Lady Razorbacks misfire

ROB KEYS
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

FAYETTEVILLE -- No team in the SEC has made more three-pointers per game this season than Arkansas. Thursday night against No. 6 Florida, however, the Lady Razorbacks missed their first 18 tries and finished the game a season-worst 2 of 22 from three-point range.
The result was a 75-64 loss to the Gators in front of 3,412 at Walton Arena.
"We could not have gotten better shots than what we had," Arkansas Coach Gary Blair said. "I'm going to take those shots all day long, the ones that [Wendi] Willits and [India] Lewis had. Those were good shots. It just didn't go in tonight."
Willits, Arkansas' all-time leading three-point shooter, finished the game 0 of 5 from beyond the three-point line and Lewis 1 of 9. The Lady Razorbacks, who are averaging six three-pointers per game, were 0 of 12 in the first half, a school standard for three-point futility in a half in an SEC game.
Because Florida, which had 10 blocked shots, played a sagging, man-to-man defense, though, Blair said Arkansas (15-8, 5-5 SEC) had no choice but to take the open long-distance shots when they presented themselves.
"Each shot you just kept hoping and hoping, and when you have to hope that the ball goes in, it usually doesn't," Blair said. "You've got to expect the ball to go in."
Florida (20-2, 8-1) used a balanced offensive attack to put the ball in the basket 48 percent of the time, making 31 of 64 shots.
Brandi McCain led five Gators with 10 or more points, scoring 18. Tamara Stocks added 15, Vanessa Hayden 14 off the bench, Naomi Mobley 12 and Tombi Bell 10.
"Tonight it was almost like it was by committee," Florida Coach Carol Ross said. "I don't think anybody was really hot, but on a given trip it seemed like somebody else would step up. Fortunately, we've got enough talent that on any given trip, any of them can make plays."
Arkansas' struggles weren't limited to behind the three-point line. The Lady Razorbacks shot a season-low 30 percent (21 of 70) from the floor.
Junior guard Dana Cherry single-handedly kept Arkansas within striking distance, scoring 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the first half.
"That was the only thing that we had going," Blair said.
Cherry finished with 23 points to match a career high, and senior center Lonniya Bragg added 11.
Cherry's heroics, a 12-5 advantage from the free-throw line and a late 9-0 run got Arkansas within 35-28 at halftime, but Florida quickly extended its lead in the second half. The Gators opened the half with a 16-6 run to take a 51-34 lead with 15:21 to play.
Florida led 61-46 when freshman forward Shanna Harmon made Arkansas' first three-pointer, making a 21-footer with 7:41 remaining.
Following a Jameelah Trimble layup, Lewis ignited a 7-0 Arkansas spurt with the Lady Razorbacks' only other three-pointer of the game. Amy Wright's putback of her own miss capped the rally and got Arkansas within 63-56 with 5:29 to go.
The Florida lead then seesawed between seven and nine points before Bell and Hayden made back-to-back baskets for a 73-62 Gators lead with :44.7 remaining.
The fact that Florida got the baskets from one of its smallest players (Bell) and one of its biggest (Hayden) was indicative of how the Gators used an inside-outside attack to set up a showdown with No. 2 Tennessee on Sunday.
"They've got two great guards, they've got a great role player in [Monique] Cardenas and they've got three of the outstanding post players in the league," Blair said of the Gators. "That's good enough balance to me. They don't need seventh, eighth and ninth players. Any coach would love to sit there and have that combination."
Arkansas, which played without Shameka Christon, who has been suspended indefinitely, returns to action Sunday, when it plays host to No. 14 LSU at 2 p.m.

This article was published on Friday, February 9, 2001

RETURN to main page

Copyright and permissions
Copyright © 2001, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. All rights reserved.
This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc.