Box Score RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The UAM women’s basketball team ran into the No. 1 team in the nation tonight in the Great American Conference opener and gave the Arkansas Tech Golden Suns all they could handle.
The Blossoms (4-7, 0-1 GAC) got off to a rocky start with four turnovers in the first five-and-a-half minutes that help put them in an 11-0 hole to start the game. Despite a solid defensive effort, the offense just wasn’t there.
By the second media timeout the game leveled out, 24-11, as the Blossoms finally connected with some shots. Coach Ray called a timeout of her own with seven to play in the frame in an attempt to settle her squad down with the score 31-15, and it seemed to work. The Blossoms tacked on five more before the final media timeout of the half to keep the deficit at 13, 33-20 with 4:51 before halftime.
Each time the lead got to 16 Coach Ray called the timeout to prevent things getting out of hand. The Blossoms were down 39-23 with 2:28 remaining and closed the half on a 10-3 run to go into the break trailing by single digits, 42-33.
The Blossoms came out ready to play in the second half, shaving seven points off the Tech lead, 47-41, before the first media timeout. Chelsea Johnson had a shot up before the break that would have cut the Sun lead down to a single possession. As it was, she was fouled on the first play out of the timeout, but could only connect with one of her three attempts, 47-42 with just over 14 minutes to play.
UAM took their first lead of the game with 12:14 remaining thanks to a wide open three from Candace Virgadamo that put the Blossoms up 50-49. The lead held through the second media timeout, and with 9:56 left to play the Blossoms held a 53-51 lead over the nation’s highest-ranked team on their own floor.
But, the Suns retook the lead with 8:50 remaining on back-to-back layups, 55-53. The game went back-and-forth from there, as Coach Ray again used a timeout to settle things down after Tech pushed their lead back to five, 60-55 with just under seven minutes to play.
The teams continued to trade buckets down the stretch. With 1:48 remaining Alex Hart attempted to take a charge under the goal with Tech up four, 63-59, and fouled out of the game. Tech’s Lily Abreu nailed both here free throw attempts, so instead of being down four with the ball the Blossoms were down six and the clock became their biggest competition.
Forced to foul, ATU closed the game on a 13-9 run to seal their victory, 76-68, and maintain their number one ranking.
Chelsea Johnson led the way for UAM, tied for the game-high, with 17 points and seven rebounds in 37 minutes. Candace Virgadamo added 14 points in 36 mintues, and Channon Haywood pulled in a team-high eight rebounds.
Three Suns scored 17 as Natalia Santos posted the game’s lone double-double with 17 and 11 rebounds.
The Blossoms will return to Steelman Field House this Saturday as GAC play continues. They will host the Southeastern Oklahoma State Savage Storm at 2:00 p.m.
