BARTLESVILLE, Okla. – Aujana Dawkins hit a layup as time expired to lift the No. 15 Arkansas Tech Golden Suns basketball team (24-3) to a 60-58 victory over the Arkansas-Monticello Cotton Blossoms (13-14) in the opening round of the Great American Conference tournament on Friday night.
 
NEXT UP 

• The Golden Suns will play the winner of the Southern Arkansas/Henderson State quarterfinal at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 5.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The two teams traded leads throughout the first quarter, with Tech opening up a six-point (13-7) lead with 1:30 to play.
• UAM cut the Tech lead to four (15-11) at the end of the quarter.
• The Blossoms seized the momentum in the opening minutes of the second quarter, claiming the lead after a 3-pointer by Nikki Mullen with 6:55 remaining in the half.
• Fatima Adams went to the bench with 4:41 remaining in the second quarter with her fourth foul and did not return to the game until the fourth quarter.
• UAM led by as many as four (29-25) in the closing minutes of the second quarter and took a one-point (33-32) lead into the half.
• The Golden Suns claimed the lead on the first possession of the half on a layup by Anissa Pounds, and pushed ahead by as many as six (41-35) with 4:36 to go in the quarter.
• Tech held a five-point (47-42) lead after the third quarter.
• After Tech pushed its lead to seven (49-42) in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, UAM rallied to within one immediately after Adams fouled out with 7:08 to play.
• After Bre Brooks fouled out with 2:29 remaining, the Blossoms reclaimed the lead just 19 seconds later on a layup by Ayesha Walid.
• Kelsey McClure gave Tech a one-point (58-57) advantage with 1:03 remaining on a layup out of a 30-second timeout.
• After a defensive stop by UAM, the Blossoms sent Jordan Goforth to the line with four seconds remaining with a chance to give UAM the lead. After Goforth hit the first free throw to tie the game at 58, she missed the second and the Golden Suns called timeout immediately after rebounding the ball.
• With 4.2 seconds remaining, McClure drove through the paint and dished to Dawkins, who hit her game-winning shot as time expired.

 
NOTABLES

• McClure led the Golden Suns with 13 points from the bench. Brooks and Adams added 11 points apiece.
• Dawkins led Tech with 10 boards.
• Brooks added four steals and five assists.
• Tech held a 20-9 advantage in points off turnovers, a 14-3 advantage in second-chance points, a 22-14 advantage in bench points, and a 42-20 advantage in points in the paint.
• Tech held a 51-30 rebounding advantage.