After seven straight conference losses, all five Lady Lions starters were able to score in double figures, leading the women’s basketball team to their first Southland Conference win of the 2012-13 season against the Texas A&M- Corpus Christi Islanders, 66-54.
“We needed it. We worked hard for it, so it’s about time to get a win,” said junior forward Aja Gibson. “We wanted that. I feel right now, now that we’ve got a win, it will be the start, and we’ll get more and more wins for the rest of the conference.”
In the first half, the Lady Lions endured a rocky start as the Islanders scored seven unanswered points. Five minutes into the game, freshman guard Bianca Harvey contributed a good layup, and over the course of the first half the Lady Lions fought hard to catch up to their opponents.
A jumper contributed by junior guard Jameika Hoskins pushed the Lady Lions into the lead with a score of 18-17 at the 6:29 mark. The Lady Lions kept this lead throughout the rest of the first half, only tying the score once briefly before Gibson contributed two free throws to take back the lead at a score of 26-24 just seconds before halftime.
“We hit free throws at a pace that we don’t normally hit,” said Lady Lions head coach Lori Davis Jones. “We hit well over eighty percent from the free throw line, and Symone, Liz and Brandi were all one hundred percent. Stepping up and hitting our free throws was huge for us tonight, especially when they were fouling us, because if we didn’t, they went down there and scored from the free throw line themselves. Free throws were a big thing for us.”
In the second half, the Lady Lions kept up their momentum, but the Islanders never stopped fighting. With 13:42 remaining, the Islanders managed to narrow the gap to 36-35. Within minutes, the Lady Lions made a 20-7 run, increasing the gap in their lead significantly.
“I thought that the run we made early to push the lead in the second half was positive because normally we have a let down about there, so we’re just continuing to get better hopefully every game,” said Jones. “We go and out rebound the number one team in the league on Thursday night, and then we come in here against this team and they’re out rebounding us. It’s the lack of focus and the lack of mental preparation of doing the discipline things every day in and out, and we didn’t come ready to do that tonight, so I’m very disappointed in that. We have the ability to dominate the board against most teams when we block out, and we’ve got to get focused on that.”
In the end, the Islanders were not able to surpass the Lady Lions, although they fought hard to keep the gap narrow as possible. In the end, sophomore guard Symone Miller made a three just as the clock expired, and she and sophomore guard Elizabeth Styles went 4-for-4 from the line, ending the game at 66-54.  
Miller led the Lady Lions with 14 points. In addition, senior forward Brandi Simmons contributed 12 points, Gibson and Styles each contributed 11 points, and Hoskins contributed 10 points.  
The Lady Lions’ next three Southland Conference games are on the road, which has proven difficult for them this season.
“There’s going to be nothing easy for us this year,” said Jones. “Everything we do we’re going to have to work hard, be disciplined and go earn. Whether we are home against those teams or on the road against those teams, there’s going to be no difference for us. We’ve just got to get out there and get the work done.”  
Their next game will be against the Central Arkansas Sugar Bears in Conway, Ark. on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.