CONWAY, Ark. – The Ladies were able to battle back in each of the first three quarters to hold a lead in the fourth, but the Warriors scored the final 10 points of the game as Centenary (0-3) fell to Hendrix (2-0) 75-68 at the fourth annual Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference-Southern Athletic Association Classic in Conway, Arkansas Saturday afternoon, November 17.
With the Ladies trailing 43-35 with six minutes left in the third, freshman Elizabeth Matthews drained a three while sophomore Bre Frierson completed a three-point play. With Hendrix up 49-45, senior Savanah Doty hit a pair from the line and junior Deunya Small drained a jumper to tie the game.
The teams were tied two more times in the third, but a pair of free throws gave the Warriors a 55-53 lead heading into the fourth.
Doty tallied the double-double, finishing with a team high 13 points and 10 boards.
Trailing 61-57 with seven minutes left, the Ladies scored six straight to take their first lead of the game. Freshman Priya Ponia made a layup and Small hit a jumper to tie the game. Two free throws by Small with 5:15 left put Centenary up 63-61 with 5:15 left.
Sophomore Ethany Cosby drained a three with 4:01 left to put Centenary up 68-65, but Hendrix scored the final 10 points for the win. Vinessa Daniel drained a three to tie the game. After a Centenary turnover, a Maddie Anderson jumper gave the Warriors the lead for good. Hendrix salted the game away with a 5-for-8 mark from the free throw line in the final 1:29.
Daniel poured in 38 points and Anderson added 15. Amber Turner contributed 10 points and eight assists for the Warriors.
The Ladies trailed 28-17 in the second quarter with five minutes until halftime, but a 14-6 run cut the deficit to three at the break. Frierson split from the line and then made a layup after a defensive stand. Senior Jasmine Morris added a layup to quickly cut the deficit to six. Hendrix held an eight-point advantage with less than a minute left, but a 2-for-1 before half brought the Ladies within one possession. Frierson made a layup before a Hendrix turnover. Doty hit a three right before the buzzer sounded to bring Centenary within 34-31 at the break.
Centenary concludes the weekend tomorrow morning when it takes on Millsaps. Tip-off is scheduled for 11 a.m.
