ALEXANDRIA, La. – The Louisiana State University of Alexandria women's basketball team opened Red River Athletic Conference play with a 71-59 victory over Jarvis Christian.
"They were really athletic," LSUA Head Coach Billy Perkins said. "They kind of surprised us with their speed and aggressiveness. I knew they'd be aggressive but they shocked us there for a second. I'm just proud, it's been a long two weeks. I'm glad we pulled it off because they put the time in but we have to get better game to game."
The Generals (4-1, 1-0 RRAC) had five double digit scorers in
Dannah Martin-Hartwick (14),
Reese Stephens (14),
Benedetta Peracchi (13),
Jewel Jones (12), and
Amani Gray (10). LSUA recorded 18 points in the pain, 20 points off turnovers, 13 second chance points, and eight points from the bench.
Jarvis Christian (0-2, 0-1 RRAC) led 16-13 after the first quarter, but a 16-7 run over the course of the second period put LSU ahead 29-23 at half. Jones opened the period with a three to tie the contest. The Generals shot 40 percent from the field and 50 percent from deep in the second. Five of Stephens' points came in the second period. Jones knocked down both of her shots from deep.
Stephens opened the third with a trey before three consecutive layups from the Bulldogs cut the score to 32-29. Peracchi made her way into the line for a bucket, ending the Bulldogs' run.
With 5:48 left in the stanza,
Aniyah Roundtree knocked down a trey, putting the Generals ahead 37-30.
Kelly Norris followed with a layup for a nine-point advantage. An 8-0 run from the Bulldogs brought LSUA's lead to just one, 39-38. A free throw from Jones and a layup at the buzzer gave the Generals a 42-38 lead heading into the fourth.
Gray, Martin-Hartwick, and Peracchi combined for seven points on three baskets to open the fourth in a 7-2 run for the Generals. After a bucket from the Bulldogs, an 8-0 run from LSUA put the Generals ahead 57-42.
A trio of free throws and a jumper from the Bulldogs brought the lead back to 10, 57-47. LSAU's lead hovered near the 10-point mark until just under two minutes left, when the Bulldogs dipped it below double digits on two possessions. The Generals responded both times, including a three from Jones, before Stephens converted both free throws for the game's final points.
The Generals are on the road for their next RRAC matchup on Saturday, November 16, as they travel to Texas A&M-Texarkana. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 PM.
