ALEXANDRIA, La. – Blair Smith hit the game-winning shot as time expired for the Louisiana State University of Alexandria women's basketball team as they defeated Texas College, 65-63, in Red River Athletic Conference play.
 
Smith led the Generals (6-1, 3-0 RRAC) with 17 points. She went 6-for-11 from the field and a perfect 5-for-5 at the free throw line. Smith also recorded eight rebounds, three of which were offensive. Jewel Jones recorded 16 points, while Benedetta Peracchi totaled 13 and Amani Gray finished with 12. Peracchi notched a double-double, hauling in 12 rebounds. The Generals recorded 34 points in the paint, 15 points off turnovers, and 19 second chance points.
 
Midway through the first quarter, the game was deadlocked at 8-8. LSUA scored the next nine points to close out the period with a 17-8 lead.
 
The Steers (1-3, 0-1 RRAC) responded with a 14-3 run to take a 22-20 lead with 4:29 left in the second. A layup from Reese Stephens on the Generals' next possession brought the score back level, 22-22. The lead changed hands over the next few possessions, but a three-point play from Peracchi gave the Generals a 31-28 advantage heading into the halftime break.
 
Undeterred, Texas College brought score level again in the third, 33-33. Seven minutes into the third quarter, an 8-0 from the Lady Steers gave them a 48-41 edge. They closed the third leading 50-46.
 
Texas College extended the advantage to eight three-and-a-half minutes into the final stanza, 56-48. Back-to-back layups from Smith cut the lead to 56-52 but Texas College responded with a 5-0 run for a 61-52 lead and 4:34 to play in regulation.
 
The Generals drew up a 9-0 run with free throws from Smith, a three from Jones, and four points from Peracchi, levelling the score at 61-61 with 2:06 on the clock.
 
"It really happened at halftime when Coach talked to us," Smith said of the team's effort in the second half. "We weren't playing our game at all. Personally, I wasn't hustling. After the talk with Coach, it boosted us."
 
A layup from the Lady Steers with 45 seconds gave them a 63-61 edge until Peracchi responded 20 seconds later with a bucket of her own, tying the game at 63-63.
 
A missed three by Texas College, and a defensive rebound from Peracchi, gave Perkins the opportunity to call a timeout and draw up a play to feed Smith with 1.3 seconds on the clock, after a review.
 
Smith knocked down her chance, lifting the Generals to a 65-63 victory.
 
"Trying to find a way to win, they're a scrappy team," LSUA Head Coach Billy Perkins said. "I was very proud of us. Thank goodness for review, we were able to get the ball into Blair for the last second shot."
 
LSUA's next game is slated for November 26 at Xavier University of Louisiana. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 PM in New Orleans.