Middle Tennessee rallied to take the lead with under four minutes left but a 10-point halftime deficit proved to be too much, as the Blue Raiders dropped a 59-53 decision to visiting Arkansas Saturday night at Murphy Center in non-conference women’s basketball action.
Middle Tennessee was led by sophomore and Preseason Sun Belt co-Player of the Year Ebony Rowe, who posted her fourth double-double of the season, and 20th of her career, with a game-high tying 15 points and game-best 12 rebounds. She was joined in double figures by junior Kortni Jones, who finished with 12 points, including three 3-pointers, to go along with her seven assists.
Sophomore Janay Brinkley also poured in a career-high eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, as the MT bench outscored Arkansas’ 15-13.
The Razorbacks placed a trio of starters in double-figure scoring, paced by 15, including 6-of-7 free throws, from Sarah Watkins. Dominique Robinson (13 points) and C’eira Ricketts (12) also contributed to the effort. Robinson hauled in a team-best six boards.
The Blue Raiders found themselves down 29-19 at the intermission after converting only 35.0 percent of their field goals in the opening 20 minutes. The lead swelled to 12, 40-28, by the 14:23 mark on a Quistelle Williams jumper but freshman Shanice Cason answered at the other end with a triple 17 seconds later to start a 10-3 run over the next five-and-a-half minutes as Middle Tennessee (4-4) pulled within five, 43-38, on a Jones trey.
After Williams halted the momentum with a jumper 30 seconds later, 3-pointers by Brinkley and junior Icelyn Elie sandwiched a Robinson bucket to make it a one possession game at 47-44 with 5:02 left.
Watkins pushed it back to five a short time later, however, Rowe dropped in an old-fashioned three-point play for a 49-47 score with 4:28 remaining. Following an Arkansas (6-1) turnover, Jones drained her second triple of the period to give the Blue Raiders their only lead, 50-49, with 3:47 to go.
Williams hit the second of a two-shot foul at 2:59 to force the game’s only tie and help the Razorbacks finish with a 9-3 spurt, as MT could only manage three Rowe free throws, all on separate trips to the line, in the waning minutes.
Arkansas had claimed an early 5-0 lead behind three points from Ashley Daniels, holding the Blue Raiders off the board until Jones’ first 3-pointer at 14:55. Three minutes later Lyndsay Harris increased the margin to eight, 13-5, with a triple and Watkins helped push it to a dozen, 16-8, following her own trey and then a jumper with 9:46 to play in the opening stanza.
Brinkley and Rowe would help Middle Tennessee claw back to an eight-point difference but again, the Razorbacks hit a 3-pointer, this time by Robinson, to extend it back to double digits. Brinkley’s corner trey at the 3:47 mark dropped the margin to eight and Arkansas was not able to make it more than a 10-point edge the remainder of the period, capping the scoring with a Ricketts jumper with 1:20 left.
The Blue Raiders return home for their second of seven home games out of eight in December when they play host to Austin Peay at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The contest will be broadcast on the Blue Raider Network of WMOT (89.5 FM) and WGNS (1450 AM, 100.5 FM, 101.9 FM) with Dick Palmer and Duane Hickey on the call. |
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