Sophomore guard Ashailee Brailey shot 5-5 from three point range and scored 21 points her career high.
Jonathan Rhodes/The Lion's Roar
The Lady Lions basketball team ended their four game losing streak with a 69-58 win against Northwestern State University. The game was part of the Jam the Jungle event on Jan. 25, which the other athletic teams attended in support of the Lady Lions.
“To have all of our student section and to have support from them as things were going on defensively away from your basket late in the game, great atmosphere for a college game.” said women’s basketball Head Coach Errol Gauff. “I’m proud of our student body and our fans in general, and obviously very proud of our young ladies.”
The Lions football team helped to create a home court advantage with loud chants throughout the entire game.
“The football team definitely helped tonight,” said Ashailee Brailey, a sophomore guard. “You just feed off the crowd’s energy and that builds off of you and your energy that you put on the court.”
The Lady Lions record is now 4-15 overall and 2-6 in the Southland Conference. The team battled in the second half to regain the lead by shooting 43.5 percent from three point range.
“Our young ladies have shown tremendous resilience all season in all kind of aspects,” said Gauff. “They really put it on us, but them really putting it on us like that got our girls refocused. Our young ladies realized we are better than our record. Ashailee, Charliee and Bre shooting in that third quarter got us going. Then, in the fourth quarter Taylin making free throws and Chey clearing up things under the rim is huge.”
Taylin Underwood and Brailey, junior guards led the team with 21 points, marking the first time this season that two players scored 20-plus points. For Brailey, it was a career-best performance shooting 5-5 from three point range.
“I’ve kinda been in a shooting slump, but Coach Gauff, Bre and myself got in the gym and put up a lot of shots,” said Brailey. “So, it felt good seeing the ball go in. It was just a team effort too with people spotting me, and I’m getting open shots and that is all there is to it.”
The Lady Lions got a few minutes off the bench from freshman Chambria Harrison, who led the team with eight rebounds.
“Chambria Harrison probably only averages about four minutes, but tonight played way more minutes and rebound the ball for us and gave us a presence down low,” said Gauff. “She played with tremendous effort and energy.”
Chey Stewart, a senior forward, had to persevere through an injury during the game. She scored eight points and had five rebounds in the 15 minutes that she played.
“Chey’s knee was hurt and then she stubbed her ankle on a play on the baseline,” said Gauff. “She asked back in, and I was hesitant to do it. She comes in, hits two free throws and next thing I know, she is making ‘and one.’ So, she’s smarter than I am and usually players are.”
The Lady Lions will be looking to pick up a winning streak in the next few games to improve their record against the Southland Conference and their overall record.
“We just got to keep working everyday to improve,” said Gauff. “We have to keep coming together as a team and understand that a team is a family. You never know who is going to have it going that night, but when they do just support them. And when somebody gets beat, you got to help each other. Tonight, we saw a lot of help, so we are growing as a team. We just got to keep working and continue to grow.”
Freshman guard Charliee Dugas scored 10 points in the win against Northwestern State on Jan. 25 and led the team on defense with four steals. This win ended what was a four game losing streak for the Lady Lions as they now sit in 12th place in the Southland Conference.
Jonathan Rhodes/The Lion's Roar
Junior guard Taylin Underwood scored 21 points and made three shots from beyond the arch giving her 141 for her career, placing her third on the school’s all time list.
Jonathan Rhodes/The Lion's Roar