BEAUMONT — Ang Green made three free throws with 1.1 seconds remaining to lift Lamar to a 69-67 victory against UTSA on Saturday at the Montagne Center.
Kalis Loyd totaled a game-high 30 points to lead the Lady Cardinals (17-5, 6-2 SLC).
Junior Ashley Gardner paced the Roadrunners (9-12, 5-3 SLC) with 18 points, while senior Amber Gregg and sophomore Lyndi Thorman chipped in with 14 apiece. Meanwhile, senior Ashleigh Franklin recorded her third double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
The opening minutes saw a back-and-forth pace with both teams matching one another score for score. The first nine minutes featured eight ties and seven lead changes.
With the scoreboard knotted at 16, the Lady Cardinals went on an 18-4 run over the next seven minutes to grab their largest advantage of the half at 34-20.
However, UTSA cut into the lead with 3-pointers by Franklin and Gardner and scored eight of the final 11 points to trail 36-28 at the half.
UTSA continued to chip away at the deficit by scoring eight of the first 11 tallies of the second stanza.
Gardner hit one of her three 3-pointers during the stretch, while another three-ball pulled the Roadrunners within a point with just less than eight minutes to play.
Moments later, a pair of free throws by Franklin tied the game for the ninth time and Thorman’s first 3-pointer of the season gave UTSA its first lead of the second half, 56-55, with four minutes remaining.
It was a back-and-forth struggle from there, as neither team led by more than two points.
Trailing 59-58, sophomore Jermini Malone drove inside, passed up a wide open layup and instead found Gregg on the wing for another 3-pointer and a 61-59 lead.
The Roadrunners again faced a deficit of one with 22 seconds on the clock.
Gregg dribbled up the floor and was fouled by Jenna Plumley, sending the Austin native to the free throw line, where she calmly sank both attempts.
With just five ticks remaining, Lamar quickly worked the ball up the floor and Green looked to win it with a 3-pointer. However, she was fouled in the act by Franklin and promptly hit all three freebies to clinch the two-point triumph.
UTSA held Plumley, the reigning Southland Player of the Year, to just seven points on 2-of-11 shooting and leading-scorer Monique Whittaker to four before she fouled out. The Birds also held the Lady Cardinals without a 3-pointer to break a streak of 148 games with at least one make from behind the arc.
The Roadrunners return to the Alamo City for a Wednesday, Feb. 9, matchup with Southeastern Louisiana (10-10, 2-6 SLC). Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m.
