Box Score
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The UAM Cotton Blossoms defeated the Southern Arkansas Lady Riders tonight, 73-69, for their first conference win of the season.
The Lady Riders (1-15, 1-5 GAC) jumped out to an early 15-9 lead to open the game thanks to a 70-percent shooting clip. Candace Virgadamo tied the game for UAM (5-11, 1-5 GAC) at 15 with a layup with 13 minutes to play in the half, and the game settled into a groove as the two teams swapped buckets.
The combination of SAU turnovers and UAM misses kept the scoring to a minimum as the half progressed. By the halfway point the score was tied at 17 each. The Blossoms finished the half shooting just 31-percent. SAU took a six-point, 33-27, lead into the break.
The Blossoms came out of the break and slowly chipped away at the Mulerider’s lead until Alex Hart was able to retie the game at 38 with a break-away layup and foul shot with 16:09 remaining in the game. Virgadamo hit a three from the top of the key two possessions later to hand UAM their first lead of the half.
From that point Southern Arkansas went on a 12-3 run to push their lead back up to 50-44 with 10:41 remaining. Every time the Blossoms cut the lead to a single possession the Lady Riders came up with a big basket to pull just out of reach of the UAM surge.
The Blossoms did not quit playing, however, and managed to tie the score at 67 with 1:54 remaining in the game thanks to a Chelsea Johnson three pointer from the corner. Candace Virgadamo gave the Blossoms their second lead of the half with 41 seconds remaining, 69-67 off a pair of free throws.
SAU’s Kmaria Hobbs shot a pair of free throws with 12 seconds on the clock, missing the first and nailing the second to cut the UAM lead to one. The Blosssoms inbounded the ball and ran around the backcourt trying to avoid the inevitable foul from the Muleriders. Alex Hart was eventually fouled with eight seconds left and hit both free throws to put the Blossoms up three. The win was salted away thanks to a last-second foul that sent Catherine Puckett to the line for the final two points of the game.
UAM shot 21-of-51 from the floor for 41-percent, including 5-of-13 from three for 38-percent. The Blossoms went 26-of-37 from the foul line for 70-percent. They were out-rebounded 39 to 22 by the Lady Riders, but made up for it by forcing 23 SAU turnovers in the game, which they converted into 27 points.
The Blossoms were led by Alex Hart with 21 points in 40 minutes. Candace Virgadamo and Chelsea Johnson joined her in double figures with 16 and 12 points, respectively. Hart pulled in a team-high five rebounds for UAM. Shenelda Livingston led SAU with a game-high 23 points on the night.
The Blossoms will remain on the road Thursday night as they travel up to Searcy to take on the Harding Lady Bison. Game time scheduled for 5:30 at Rhodes Field House.
