Suns hold off Savage Storm

 

January 26, 2018



RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Jayana Sanders turned in a 19-point performace, Lyrik Williams added 16, and Cheyenne North added 12 as the Arkansas Tech Golden Suns basketball team (14-2, 10-2 Great American Conference) won a close 67-65 decision over Southeastern Oklahoma (8-9, 6-6) on Thursday evening at Tucker Coliseum.

NEXT UP

The Golden Suns host East Central in a 1 p.m. game on Saturday, Jan. 27.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Tech claimed an early five-point (8-3) advantage after a jumper by Williams at the 7:29 mark.

Two minutes later, Southeastern answered with a 3-pointer by Alix Robinson to cut the deficit to two, and another 80 seconds later, Robinson hit another 3-pointer to give the Savage Storm a 9-8 advantage.

Tech briefly reclaimed the lead on a layup by Cheyenne North at the 3:51 mark, but Southeastern used the 3-pointer to again claim the lead.

The two teams traded leads down the stretch, when North hit a jumper with 32 seconds to play to tie the game at 18-18, a score that held through the end of the quarter.

Tech jumped ahead on a 3-pointer by Sanders in the opening minute of the second quarter, and Tech would push ahead by as many as eight (35-27) after a pair of Kylie Ladd free throws with 2:14 to play in the half.

The Savage Storm held the Golden Suns off the scoreboard down the stretch and narrowed the Tech lead to three (35-32) at the half.

Southeastern tied the contest early in the third quarter after another 3-pointer by Robinson.

Tech again surged ahead, grabbing a seven-point (49-42) advantage with 3:20 to play in the third quarter after a fast-break layup by Ladd.

While Southeastern was able to pull to within one down the stretch, Williams' layup with 46 seconds remaining in the quarter stretched Tech's lead back to three (51-48), and the Suns held their lead into the fourth quarter.

Tech again pushed ahead, taking a seven-point (59-52) lead with 5:37 to play after a Sanders layup. However, Southeastern used a 9-0 run, capped by a 3-pointer by Robinson to claim a 61-59 lead with 3:48 remaining.

The lead would not last long, however, as the Golden Suns tied the game on a North layup with 2:38 to play and went ahead on a North jumper with 1:53 to play.

Tech pushed its lead to four (65-61) with a Sanders jumper with 1:18 remaining, but the Savage Storm were able to knot the game with 22 seconds remaining on a Taten Hyde jumper.

The Golden Suns held the ball on the final possession, and Williams was fouled with 0.4 seconds remaining on the clock, hitting the final two free throws to provide Tech with its margin of victory in the win.

NOTABLES

Tech outshot SE 41.9 to 35.3 percent from the floor.

The Golden Suns held a 42-35 advantage in rebounds.

Tech held a 30-14 advantage in points in the paint and a 19-15 advantage in points off turnovers.

SE held an 11-8 advantage in second-chance points, but Tech shutout the Savage Storm in fast-break points, holding an 11-0 advantage.

North led Tech with eight rebounds.

Ladd led Tech with six assists and five steals.

 

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