UA women stage a good production

TREY REID
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas Coach Gary Blair wasn't on the bench Thursday night for the Lady Razorbacks' annual Red-White Game, but that didn't keep him from seeing a lot of things he liked in the White team's 80-58 victory at Bud Walton Arena.
"That's the first time I've ever watched one from the sideline," said Blair, who observed the game from press row while scribbling notes on a yellow legal pad.
The Lady Razorbacks' offensive production gave Blair plenty to write about in his notebook.
"Offensively, I thought we got a lot of good looks," Blair said.
Freshman post player Shanna Harmon of the White team had some of the best looks at the basket and made the most of her chances. She led all scorers with 18 points on 6-of-10 field-goal shooting, including 50 percent shooting from three-point range.
"I'm very pleased with the way Harmon shot the ball," Blair said. "We've never had a 4-player who can shoot like that outside. She just doesn't take too many bad shots.
"That's good for us because it stretches defenses."
Sophomore guard Dana Cherry was another force for the White team, slashing to the basket often and finishing with 16 points. Cherry also pulled down 10 rebounds.
"I thought Cherry was very active," Blair said. "She opened things up by driving to the basket. She's got to learn to kick it out, but that comes with time. Right now, I'm excited about the scoring."
The White team had plenty of other stars. Senior post player Lonniya Bragg had 12 points and 11 rebounds, and junior point guard Amy Wright finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists.
Katrina Nesby, a redshirt freshman from West Memphis, added 11 points for the White team.
The Red team, which beat the White team in a scrimmage Tuesday, lagged behind from the start Thursday night.
Sophomore forward Lakishia Harper led the Red with 14 points and 11 rebounds, and sophomore guard India Lewis, who has been hampered by a wrist injury, added 12 points.
"The Red was really short when [Wendi] Willits couldn't go," Blair said. "Her ankle flared up again."
Willits, Arkansas' leading returning scorer from last season, played 30 minutes but wasn't a factor. She finished with three points on 1-of-9 shooting.
"Hopefully, she'll be all right for Sunday's game [against the Australian Institute of Sport]," Blair said. "We'll just have to wait and see."
Freshman Keisha Beard chipped in 10 points for the Red team, drawing Blair's praise.
"Nesby and Beard were two of the biggest surprises that I wasn't expecting," Blair said. "I was pleased with the way Nesby ran the floor. Beard is just active. She's fun to watch because something is going to happen when she's out there."
Still, Blair's notebook included a few areas that need improvement.
The Lady Razorbacks showed signs of fatigue, and free-throw shooting gave Blair some cause for concern. The Red team shot 46 percent from the line, and the White team hit 62 percent of its free throws.
"I see a lot of things we can work on," he said. "We need to have patience on offense. Conditioning was a factor, but these kids aren't going to play 40 minutes a game like this.
"We'll work on free throws, we'll work on fouling, and we'll work on conditioning. It was a typical Red-White Game, but I think we're going to be in good shape."

This article was published on November 3, 2000

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