Box Score
MONTICELLO, Ark. – The UAM women’s basketball team will go into the Holidays with a win as they defeated CBU 61-55 tonight.

The Blossoms (4-4) led from beginning to end tonight, but the visiting Lady Bucs (2-7) didn’t make it easy. UAM opened the game on a 5-0 run, but never managed to get the lead higher than ten the whole night.

Taylor Clark hit the first jumper of the game en-route to her 10 points in the first half. The senior out of Searcy also pulled in ten rebounds in the first half, locking up the double-double before halftime. CBU battled tough all night long, but could never fully catch up, as the Blossoms dug deep each and every time the Lady Bucs threatened. “Good teams find a way to answer runs and we did that tonight,” said Coach Ray after the game.

The lead was seven at the break, 29-22, after CBU’s Adrienne McKay hit a layup as time expired and they came out in the second half determined to even things up. CBU scored the first five points out of the break to cut the lead down to two, but Emili Slamons answered with a three to put the Blossoms back up five.

Slamons came up big again late in the game as the Lady Bucs again cut the lead down to a single bucket, 38-36, with 12:33 remaining. The junior out of Elkins drained another clutch three from the top of the key to keep the Lady Bucs at bay.

CBU out-rebounded the Blossoms 42-29 on the night and turned them into 17, unanswered, second-chance points. The Blossoms more than made up for that on turnovers. UAM forced 26 turnovers out of the Lady Bucs tonight and converted them for 30 of their 61 points.

Chelsea Johnson led all scorers with 19 points. Taylor Clark finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Candace Virgadamo added 10 points to round out those in double-figures. CBU was paced by Jasmine Ellis’ 12 points and nine rebounds.

The Blossoms will have a few weeks to rest and regroup as they head into the Holiday break. They will return to action December 30 and 31 as they travel to San Antonio for the St. Mary’s Classic. They will take on Incarnate Word on the 30th and host St. Mary’s on New Year’s Eve. Both games are at 3:00 p.m.