By Jared Fields, Sports Editor
The Wildcats fought hard against LSC South Division leader Tarleton State on Tuesday, but the team could not overcome poor shooting.
The Wildcats shot just 31 percent from the field and allowed 19 offensive rebounds by the TexAnns in the 70-64 loss in Moody Coliseum. The loss drops the team’s record to 3-4 in the LSC South and into fifth place.
According to head coach Shawna Lavender, the key to the six-point loss was the 19 offensive rebounds given up by the Wildcats.
“That’s just letting another team out-work you,” Lavender said. “When you’re not shooting the ball well, you can’t afford to give the other team that many second chances.”
The Wildcats began the game shooting just 2-18 from the floor and were down by as much as 17 points. However, senior Ashley King made two 3-pointers, and sophomore Alex Guiton had six points in the final minutes of the half which cut the deficit to only six points at halftime.
“We came out flat and weren’t doing fundamental things we needed to stay in the game,” guard Ashley King said. “We would go on runs but wouldn’t stop them on defense.”
The second half was much of the same for the Wildcats. Inconsistent shooting kept the team from maintaining a steady run. Instead, the team scored only in spurts along with scoreless droughts.
Early in the second half, sophomore Ashlee Barr pulled the Wildcats within three points of the lead with a pair of free throw shots, but Tarleton State quickly stretched the lead to 12. Again, the Wildcats made a run late in the half but, as coach Lavender said, it was “too little, too late.”
King and Guiton led the team in scoring: King finished with 16 and Guiton with 15 points. Senior center Jamie Boles-Lord scored nine points, and five other players contributed seven or fewer points.
At 6 p.m. Saturday the Wildcats play Midwestern State. The Mustangs hold a 2-4 conference record and are 8-11 overall, but Lavender said the game will still be a challenge.
“It’s always hard to play at Midwestern; I don’t remember the last time we won there,” Lavender said. “Like all of the conference, you never get a game that is going to be easy.”
