Historic week for Lady Tigers, Crowder

Last week was a historic week for Head Coach Garry Crowder and the women’s basketball team as they reeled off three straight wins, hitting milestones of points scored and wins along the way.

In Saturday’s game against Ecclesia, Crowder became the winningest coach in Ouachita women’s basketball history, winning his 214th game 94-61, passing Carolyn Moffat’s old record of 213, when she coached from 1965-1984.

“It’s an honor,” Crowder said, “and it’s an honor to work at Ouachita. But anytime you win as a coach there are a lot of other factors and people that contribute to that.”

Crowder was quick to give credit to his players and Assistant Coach Jason Jones who has been with him for 10 years. Crowder also said his family was big in helping him achieve the milestone, especially his wife who he said has allowed him to coach through the years.

He was happy that it was this year’s team that broke the record, because he says they are extremely hard workers. He is pleased a successful team broke the record.

Junior Melissa Richardson agreed. “It’s great to be part of Coach Crowder’s record-breaking year. I’m glad he broke it this year since we have had a couple of rough years in the past.”

The win, however, was just the climax to an exciting week of basketball which started with the Lady Tigers’ 108-104 win over Harding.

In the game, the Lady Tigers tied a school record making 18 3-point shots and had two players, sophomore Gabby Coleman and freshman A’Laeshia Adams reach career highs in points, scoring 28 and 26 respectively. The score was the second highest scoring conference game ever in the Gulf South Conference, and the Lady Tigers highest scoring conference game.

“We hit 18 threes and we needed every one of them to win,” Crowder said. According to Crowder, Harding did a great job of spreading Ouachita out and getting one-on-one opportunities underneath the basket.

“You really got to hand it to the girls for hanging and there and really knocking down some big threes,” Crowder said. Two of the biggest threes came in the games final minutes by Coleman and Adams.

Last Thursday brought the real test for the team. It was a game against the No. 25 Delta State Lady Statesman. Delta State had beaten the Lady Tigers by 16 in the first conference game of the year and was riding a 31 game conference win streak.

The Lady Tigers won 64-58. According to Crowder, his team won in part due to junior guard Kim Beverly’s defense on the Delta State point guard Bug Cooper.

“They [the team] have to realize now that they can beat anyone in the conference,” Crowder said. He said the team had lost some confidence early in the year as they dropped three of the first four, but the coaching staff talked with them and told them they are good enough to win, something they have since done.

Richardson was also encouraged by the win against Delta State saying, “It was such an accomplishment and I’m glad everyone can see what we can do now. Our confidence is high but we have to take each game seriously and not slack off.”

The team now will finish the second part of the conference season playing past tough road games at home, and traveling to play teams they have already beaten. Crowder said it will be nice having the top teams in Bill Vining Arena but still will have to face some good teams on the road and get some wins in order to go the Gulf South Conference Tournament.