RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The upset-minded Arkansas Tech women's basketball team battled hard against Southeastern Oklahoma at home on Friday night, but a late surge by the Savage Storm delt the Golden Suns a 69-60 loss.
Early in the game, it was all Golden Suns as they made their first three shots of the game and raced out an 8-0 lead not even two minutes into the contest. The lead would reach 10 before Southeastern was able to score their first points of the game on a three-pointer at the 5:13 mark of the first quarter.
The Golden Suns would go on to play just about their best quarter this season over the rest of the opening period and carried an 11-point lead into the second quarter, 22-11. In that first quarter, the Golden Suns shot 50% overall (7-of-14) and were a near unconscious 5-of-6 (83%) from three-point range.
The hot start cooled in the second quarter as the Savage Storm were able to eventually erase that 11-point deficit, taking their first lead of the game at the 1:21 mark, 30-29. Neither team would score over the rest of the quarter, sending the game to the break with Southeastern in the lead.
In the third quarter, the Golden Suns regained some of their offensive success from the first quarter and after quickly re-taking the lead, built their lead back out as high as nine points on a pair of occasions. The last of those was at the 6:04 mark.
Over the remainder of the third quarter, Southeastern pushed their way back into the game similar to what they did in the second quarter and by 17-second mark, had gone in front once more, 48-47. Last-second free throws awarded to Tech were knocked down, however, by
Hayleigh Wyrick to give the Golden Suns a 49-48 advantage heading into the fourth.
In that fourth quarter, Southeastern was able to combine heating up on their offensive end with a stalling output by the Golden Suns to take the lead back and build upon it. Southeastern was able to push their lead as large as 11 points before the game ended in a nine-point margin.
The Golden Suns had three players score in double figures with
Olivia Jones matching Wyrick for the lead at 15 points. Jones was most threatening from long range as she was 4-of-5 from deep and was 4-of-8 overall. She was also 3-of-4 from the free throw line. Wyrick was 6-of-12 overall from the floor.
Dessie McCarty was the third Golden Sun to reach double figures as she did so with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting overall, 2-of-3 from three-point range and 2-of-5 from the free throw line.
The Golden Suns will now prepare for a home game against East Central on Sunday afternoon starting at 1 p.m.
