Sugar Bears put time on their side with win

On an afternoon that time took a beating and actually stood still, the University of Central Arkansas Sugar Bears managed an assortment of timely plays against the McNeese State Cowgirls, then watched time run out on their opponent at the Farris Center.

The Sugar Bears (6-12, 2-3) used balanced scoring and relentless defensive pressure to overcome a 15-point first-half deficit in a 71-69 victory over the Cowgirls (9-8, 1-3) Saturday afternoon, their second straight victory and probably the most dramatic win of the Matt Daniel era.

Things got awkward for a few minutes early in the second half after one shot clock got knocked out by a direct hit during a halfcourt-shooting contest at halftime. For the first 5:29 of the second half, out of fairness, the other shot clock was not started and that time was kept at the scorer's table with public address announcer Mike Harrison relating remaining time for a shot when the time limit got under 10 seconds.

UCA officials fixed things at the first time while the Sugar Bears got things together the rest of the half.

"We put together two halves of pretty good basketball for, in my opinion, only the second time this year," said Daniel whose team trimmed a 15-point McNeese lead to four in the final 6:15 of the first half. "This team is growing up. It is growing up!"

Trailing by eight (54-46), the Sugar Bears did most of their catching up at the free-throw line after Laura Beth Anderson, who came off the bench to score 12 points, hit a one-and-one, then executed a lane drive that result in a three-point play that quickly cut the Cowgirl lead in half.

After Jayme Adair hit a 3-pointer from the wing to give UCA its first lead since the opening minute (64-63 with 3:06 left), the lead changed hands six straight times. A drive through the lane by UCA's Destinee Rogers tied the score at 69 with 1:02 left.

Anderson stopped a baseline drive by McNeese's Shante Perry, her third steal. After Rogers had her dribble slapped away and it glanced off MSU's Kiara Johnson's face, the Sugar Bears had a final chance with an inbounds play under their basket with 8.5 seconds left.

The Sugar Bears used misdirection and Anderson was knocked to the floor in the lane and converted the ensuing free throws.

Then, the Sugar Bears forced the Cowgirls to run off enough time getting the ball downcourt, then crosscourt, so Ashlyn Baggett's successful 17-footer that could have forced overtime was launched about a second after the final horn sounded.

"That final play was not designed to draw a foul," Daniel said. "We were trying to score a basket. In the misdirection, Laura Beth set a great screen and just got run over."

"You have to hit free throws to win a game," said Anderson, who was seven of eight at the line keying UCA's 27-of-36 efforts. "Those are easy points. They were big for us down the stretch. But Jayme Adair hit a real big 3 (for a 64-63 UCA lead) that gave us a chance."

The Sugar Bears did most of their damage in the second half with a small but quicker lineup, keyed by the ability of Anderson, guard Mariesha Piggee and forward Meaghen Kellybrew to disrupt the McNeese State offense just enough.

"Our experience helped today," Daniel said. "Our older kids (Piggee and Kellybrew) stepped up and helped us get some steals, make stops and pushed through for some big rebounds."

"Coach kept telling us to keep playing hard and 'be solid, be solid,'" said Piggee, whose 11 points represented one of her most active outputs in two years. "We kept moving our feet. And we though we could beat their defense on the drive and get some shots off."

UCA had five players in double figures led by Rogers (14), Kellybriew (13 and two 3-pointers), Anderson (12) and Adair and Piggee (11 each).

"When you look at the box score, you see some good stats and balance up and down the lineup," Daniel said. "That's how we want to play. That what gives us the best chance to win."

With helping defense and some harassment by Kelleybrew, the Sugar Bears held Shante Perry, the Cowgirls' leading scorer, one below her 16.4 average. Perry, a 5-foot-9 forward who usually gets many of her points on 3-pointers, was three of seven from long range.

The Sugar Bears helped force the Cowgirls (9-8, 1-3) into 23 turnovers. McNeese State hit 18 of 19 free-throw attempts.

Baggett, one-half of a 5-6 twin freshmen twin guard tandem for the Cowgirls (her sister, Caitlyn, is the assist leader) consistently gave the Sugar Bears fits inside and outside. On the way to 25 points, Ashley hit three 3-pointers and also executed some bigtime drives, one resulting in a superb reverse layup.

"We had to be strong at the end not letting them get a shot off." Piggee said.

The UCA women play Southeastern Louisiana at Hammond on Wednesday night.