FORT SMITH – A late fourth-quarter rally by UAFS fell just short on Saturday afternoon as the Lady Lions lost 67-63 to the Tarleton State TexAnns in nonconference play at the Stubblefield Center.
It was the first of two consecutive home games for the Lady Lions (6-6), who will host the Pittsburg State Gorillas at 3 p.m. on Monday at the Stubblefield Center.
UAFS trailed by 16 points after the third quarter and 18 points (54-36) when Tarleton State’s Katie Webster scored on a layup with 9:17 left to play. Junior guard Mariah Green, though, drained a 3-pointer with 8:52 to play that triggered a 17-0 run by the Lady Lions over the next three-minute stretch.
Senior forward Tayla Taylor made the second of two free throws with 5:06 remaining that got the Lady Lions within one point (54-53).
The TexAnns halted the Lady Lions’ run with a layup by Mackenzie Hailey with 4:40 to play, and Tarleton State pushed its lead to as many as six points twice in the final minutes – the last time (59-53) on a layup by McKinley Bostad with 2:30 left to play.
UAFS rallied again and tied the game at 61 points with on a layup by junior guard Lundon Williams with 45 seconds left. Tarleton State answered with a layup by Hailey with 31 seconds left to regain the lead, but UAFS tied the game again at 63 on a layup by Williams with 18 seconds to go.
Hailey put the TexAnns in the lead again (65-63) with a layup with nine seconds left, prompting UAFS to call a timeout. Senior guard Olivia Hanson got an open look at a potential game-winning 3-pointer with seven seconds, but her shot was off the mark. Hailey grabbed the rebound and was fouled to stop the clock with two seconds left.
Hailey made both free throws to seal the game for the TexAnns.
UAFS shot 42 percent from the field (25 of 59) – it was 7-of-22 shooting from 3-point range – and shot just 60 percent from the free-throw line (6 of 10). Taylor led the Lady Lions with 17 points, while Green had 15 and Williams had 12. Green and Williams accounted for five of the Lady Lions’ seven 3-pointers.
Taylor just missed a double-double, finishing with a team-high eight rebounds.
Tarleton State (5-5), which competes in the Lone Star Conference, shot 42 percent from the field (26 of 62) – it was 5-of-16 shooting from 3-point range – and shot 91 percent from the free-throw line (10 of 11).
Bostad scored a team-high 20 points, while Hailey had 17, Webster 14 and Kylie Collins 10. Webster topped off her double-double with 10 rebounds.
WOMEN
TARLETON STATE 67, UAFS 63
Tarleton State 23 10 19 15 — 67
UAFS 13 10 13 27 — 63
Tarleton State (5-5): Bostad 20, Hailey 17, Webster 14, Collins 10, Tatum 4, Mankins 2
UAFS (6-6): Taylor 17, Green 15, Williams 12, Haynes 7, Hanson 6, A. Brown 4, Gulley 2
