Lady'Backs eclipse 90 for second straight game

FAYETTEVILLE — Senior Leslie Howard scored 17 points behind a 5-8 night from behind the three-point arc to lead the University of Arkansas Lady Razorback basketball team to a 90-40 victory over Texas Southern Univ. at Bud Walton Arena on Sunday afternoon.

The win improves the Lady Razorbacks to 9-1 on the year while Texas Southern falls to 1-5. Arkansas’ 90 points on the afternoon coupled with its 97 from Friday night are the first back-to-back 90-point efforts by a Lady Razorback squad since the 1998 season when Arkansas defeated Providence and South Alabama, on Nov. 16 and 20.

“I was concerned before the game about how we would start, and we made that a point of emphasis,” UA head coach Susie Gardner said. “That was a challenge for the team, and they did a great job responding.”

In a polar opposite of Friday night, Arkansas opened the game hot from the floor, scoring the game’s first 12 points. Donica Cosby was the catalyst, draining the first eight on a pair of three’s and a short jumper. Texas Southern failed to score its first points until the 15:02 mark when a steal led to an easy layup.

“We got off to the fast start with Donica, then when they went zone we got the three-pointers to start,” Gardner said. “At times, we were relentless today.”

Texas Southern did get hot midway through the period as careless Arkansas play led to a flurry of Tigers buckets which kept the score close. Arkansas’ ability to hit the three-point bucket was instrumental in their early scoring as they hit for nearly 40 percent from behind the arc in the first half. The rain of three-pointers allowed Arkansas to go into the locker room with a decisive 23-point lead, 48-25.

Holding a commanding lead Arkansas never looked back in the second, keeping the Tigers at bay and not allowing them within 22 of its total. Arkansas’ entire 12-person roster saw the floor for at least six minutes and 11 of the 12 scored at least two points.

The Lady Razorbacks had four players in double figures led by Howard’s 17. Cosby was good for 13 on the day followed by Lauren Ervin (12) and Tanisha Smith (11). Junior Brittany Vaughn added a near career high 11 assists. Texas Southern’s Tanesha Riles was the only Tiger in double digits with 12 points.

One of the telling statistics for the game came at the charity stripe as Arkansas took 21 free throws and sank 19 for an unprecedented 90 percent. Texas Southern only shot six free throws and hit three for 50 percent.

The Lady Razorbacks are back in action on next Wednesday, December 13, when they take on Southern Methodist at Bud Walton Arena. For more information about Lady Razorback basketball or about Arkansas women’s athletics, please go to LADYBACKS.COM.