March 6, 2006
Contact: Carlos Valdez III. (210) 458-4930
Sandefur’s Career Night Lifts UTSA To A 61-46 Win Over Southeastern Louisiana
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SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Senior Katie Sandefur’s career-high five 3-pointers and 23 points paced UTSA women’s basketball team to a 61-46 win over Southland Conference foe Southeastern Louisiana Lady Lions in the first round of the O’Reilly Auto Parts/SLC Tournament Monday night at the Convocation Center.
UTSA extended its winning streak to three games and improve to 17-11 overall and 12-5 in SLC play, while Southeastern Louisiana dips to 11-16 on the year and 8-9 in league play.
Junior Vivian Ewalefo added eight points, while freshman Monica Gibbs hauled in a game-high 11 rebounds and dished out eight assists.
Juniors Tina Wilson and Brenita Williams led SLU with 12 points apiece. Williams also collected 10 rebounds for the Lady Lions.
A free throw and 15-footer by Ewalefo gave UTSA the early 8-0 lead, then Sandefur’s (left) second 3-pointer from the top of the key pushed the lead to 11-0 with 13:20 left in the half.
Junior Carmen Labat’s layup ended SLU scoring drought of 8:00 minutes. Back-to-back baskets by freshman Nichelle Parks increased the Roadrunner lead 16-4 with 10:24 remaining in the first. A jumper by Ewalefo gave UTSA its largest lead of the half at 18-6 with 9:08 left in the half.
Williams’ turnaround jumper and a layup by junior Jazmine Cain pulled Southeastern Louisiana within five points (18-13) with 5:41 to go in the frame. The Lady Lions closed out the half on a 9-5 run to trim the lead 23-22.
UTSA pushed the lead to 29-24 on Sandefur’s third 3-pointer of the game with 16:10 to go in the second half. The Roadrunners used a 7-2 run to extend their lead 36-29, but a 3-point basket by sophomore Brooke Necaise cut the lead to four points (36-32) with 10:11 left in the second. Sandefur continued her hot shooting from 3-point land making her fourth trifecter to give UTSA a 43-33 lead at the 6:59 mark.
After a layup by Wilson to pull SLU within 44-40, the Roadrunners hit back-to-back treys giving UTSA back a 10-point lead (50-40) with 4:17 left in the game.
A pair of free throws made by freshman Farren Fox capped off UTSA’s 11-4 run, giving the Runners their biggest lead of the game of 15-points (61-46) with seven seconds left.
UTSA hits road Wednesday to Arlington, Texas for a match up against the No. 2 seed Texas-Arlington Mavericks in the semifinals of the O’Reilly Auto Parts/Southland Conference Tournament on March 8, at 7 p.m. at the Texas Hall.