Box Score ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The UAM Cotton Blossoms fell to the GAC-leading Henderson State Lady Reddies 66-56 at the Duke Wells Center this afternoon.
The Blossom fans in attendance didn’t have much to cheer early on, as the Lady Reddies (11-3, 4-0 GAC) opened the game on a 7-0 run before Catherine Puckett got UAM (4-9, 0-3 GAC) on the board with a couple of free throws three minutes after tip. The Blossoms hit their first field goal at the 14:30 mark when Puckett finally got a short jumper to rattle in with the score 10-4.
UAM managed to pull within one after going on a 10-0 run out of the second media timeout, 17-16. Puckett hit a layup to start things off; to that point she had all eight of the Blossoms’ points. Erica Williams hit the second of a pair of free throws, followed in quick succession by a Candace Virgadamo three, a Williams’ layup. The run was capped three minutes after it began with a Taylor Clark jumper, unfortunately it would be as close as the Blossoms would get in the half.
The two teams traded buckets into the break, with the Lady Reddies clinging to a 29-26 lead at the intermission. The Blossoms shot just 28-percent in the frame, going 8-of-28, including 2-of-6 from three. The only saving grace was that the Lady Reddies weren’t much better at 42-percent from the field and 27 from three.
The second half continued in the same vein. Every time the Blossoms pulled within striking distance HSU would string together a few buckets and pull right back out in front. The lead got as high as 11, but the game never felt completely out-of-hand. Cold shooting just prevented the Blossoms from breaking through.
Taylor Clark paced the Blossoms with 13 points and four rebounds in 13 minutes. Candace Virgadamo and Catherine Puckett joined her in double figures with 11 points each. HSU was led by Cheree Freeman’s 13 points and three rebounds.
UAM shot 30-percent from the floor, going 16-of-52, they were 3-of-13 from three (23-percent), and 21-of-28 from the free throw line for 75-percent. Henderson shot 43-percent from the floor, 27-percent from three, and 93-percent from the stripe.
The Blossoms will return to action next Thursday as they host the Southwestern Oklahoma State Bulldogs. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. inside Steelman Field House in Monticello.
