Upset bid falls short in OT for TexAnns

Advertisement

By BRAD KEITH
TheFlashToday.com

STEPHENVILLE (January 5, 2017) — Bailey Wipff and Mackenzie Hailey gave Tarleton State a chance to pull off a big road upset in Lone Star Conference play Thursday night.

But after going 9-17 from the 3-point line in the first three quarters the TexAnns were 0-8 in the fourth quarter and overtime, and Bailey Wipff couldn’t get an off-balanced 20 footer to go at the buzzer in regulation.

No. 5 Angelo State (11-0, 5-0) dominated the overtime, winning 81-74, despite 23 points and 11 rebounds from Tarleton’s Mackenzie Hailey. The Rambelles picked up 20 points and 11 boards from Jasmine Prophet and remained unbeaten while Tarleton officially lost its third straight with an exhibition win in between.

Tarleton will look to end the slide at Texas A&M-Kingsville beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday. ASU, which remained undefeated and snapped a four-game losing streak to Tarleton, hosts Texas A&M-Commerce Saturday.

The TexAnns trailed 47-40 before a 10-2 run culminating in a Shelby Mankins left corner 3-pointer for a 50-49 edge with 3:21 left in the third. Ikpeaku Iwobi also hit a 3-pointer during the run on her way to nine points and 13 rebonds.

It was 54-54 entering the fourth and neither team led by more than four throughout the final stanza. It was 66-62 ASU before a Tiara Tatum jumper with 1:18 to play. The teams traded stops before Hailey backed a defender down and drew a foul on the way up with 14 seconds left. She buried there free throws to set up an erratic finish to regulation.

ASUattempted to drive for an erratic runner at its end, but Wipff grabbed a long board and came out running for Tarleton. She was contested all the way down the court and couldn’t get it her last-ditch effort to go, either.

Prophet bankned one home and Dorsey drove for a layup to give ASU a 70-66 advantage early in the OT. Mackenzie Hailey and Travanti Downes each had buckets to bring Tarleton within two before a jumper by Chanelle Pelle and four free throws from Madi Greenwood made it 78-70 with 31 seconds remaining, and the rest was a formality.

Tarleton finished just 36 percent from the arc after hitting 53 percent through the first three quarters. Both teams shot 37 percent overall, and the Rambelles enjoyed slim margins in rebounding – 51-46 – and turnovers – 12-17.

Tarleton had to fight off a double-digit deficit in the first half, as ASU jumped on top 30-18. But Hailey and Wipff – who finished with 15 – each had 13 in the first half and Tarleton finished on a 14-9 push to trail 39-32 at intermission.


Advertisement

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.