UTA Women Defeat Appalachian State
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ARLINGTON, Texas – A big second half lifted UT Arlington over Appalachian State 55-45 Thursday night at College Park Center in Sun Belt Conference play.
The Lady Mavericks (14-10, 8-7) outscored the Mountaineers 35-24 in the second to overcome a one-point deficit at the break. The win was UTA’s fifth in the last six games and lifted UTA over .500 in conference play for the first time since Jan. 8.
“Our defense played a big role in this,” UT Arlington coach Krista Gerlich said. “We had 14 steals, which ended up being easy buckets at times, but they are the third highest scoring team in the conference and they average 69 points and we held them to just 45. I am really pleased with that defensive effort.”
The 21-point first half and 24-point second were the lowest scoring halves of the season for the Mountaineers as they turned the ball over 25 times. UTA was able to convert the turnovers into 19 points, outscoring its opponent by 13 in points off of turnovers.
“I hope that it tells our girls that they have a chance,” Gerlich said. “Any games they play in they have a chance because they can guard people.”
UTA featured three that reached double-digit scoring. LaShanda Green and Morgan Holly each led with 12 points, while Cierra Johnson added 10. Holly’s point total was a new career high, besting a
nine-point effort against Northern Arizona on Nov. 26.
“I saw the defense was sagging off of Rebekah Van Dijk, so I knew that I had to step up and knock down big shots,” Holly said.
Despite holding Appalachian State to its lowest point total for a half this season, UTA found itself trailing at the break. The Lady Mavericks opened the game with hot shooting to build up a 15-5 advantage with 10 minutes left in the half, and then went cold.
The Mountaineers took advantage by jumping into the lead on a 12-0 run as UTA failed to score for over eight minutes. App State’s Maryah Sydnor scored seven during the run before UTA answered.
Amara Wainwright knocked down a 3-pointer to regain the lead as Holly provided a layup for a quick 5-0 run. The Mountaineer came right back to close the half strong and went into the break up 21-20. Sydnor led all scorers with 10 in the opening half. Sydnor, the league’s second-ranked scorer, finished with a game-high 18 points from the bench.
“We did a really nice job in the first 10 minutes of the game defending and then we lost here,” Gerlich said. “She did what she does and that is make shots. The difference is that in the second half we limited her to eight points, but we guarded the others much better.”
Green helped UTA jump out of the gates with a 3-pointer to start the second and UTA would jump into a double-digit lead on a 13-4 run. Green and Johnson both poured in eight points during the half, but it was Holly who picked up on the momentum.
The junior scored 10 points in the second and was 3-for-4 shooting and a perfect 4-4 from the free-throw line. UTA shot 47.8 percent from the field in the second half.
The Lady Mavericks conclude their two-game homestand with an important matchup with Louisiana on Saturday. The Ragin’ Cajuns sit just ahead of the Lady Mavericks in the SBC standings. UTA defeated Louisiana in the previous meeting by overcoming a 14-point halftime deficit.
