ARKADELPHIA- After Ouachita Baptist junior Gabby Coleman scored 26 points heading into the final minute of play, it was a free-throw by Coleman with 2.7 seconds left that made the difference, as the Lady Tigers defeated Incarnate Word, 59-58, at Bill Vining Arena in Arkadelphia on Saturday.
Ouachita (4-1) led 30-24 at half, but the Cardinals (3-2) wouldn’t go away in the second half, taking the lead away three times in the last 5:36 of play. The Lady Tigers traded possessions with Incarnate Word after the Cardinals tied the game at 58-58 with 1:03 left, but a rebound by sophomore Tamara Robinson gave Ouachita possession with :20 left. Incarnate Word’s Jasmine Smith then fouled Coleman with 2.7 seconds left, as both teams recorded 1o-plus fouls in the second half. Coleman missed the first three-throw attempt but made the second and gave the Lady Tigers a thrilling non-conference victory.
Coleman led all scorers with 27 on 8-of-12 shooting, including a 3-for-5 effort from three-point range. Sophomore A’Laeshia Adams scored nine, followed by junior Maranda Parker’s eight-point effort. Robinson and sophomore Beulah Osueke led the Lady Tigers in rebounds with six each, while Adams and sophomore Domino Miller recorded three steals in the victory.
Incarnate Word held the advantage in rebounds, 40-32, while also forcing Ouachita in 21 turnovers. The Cardinals shot just 11 percent (1-9) from three-point range, however, as Ouachita put together a 29 percent effort (5-17) from behind the arc. Jasmine Smith led the Cardinals with a double-double, scoring 15 points and recording 13 rebounds. Katherine Frost added 14 points, while LaShae Woodard scored 11 points in the losing effort.
Ouachita returns to the court on Dec. 4 at Monticello, Ark for the UAM Classic opener at 5:30 p.m. against Lambuth.
