Nashia James led the Lady Tigers with 18 points and eight rebounds. “Nashia is a great player. She always has been,” coach Garry Crowder said. “This is her senior year, and we are going to miss her next year, and she’s been our top scorer and one of our top rebounders all year, so that’s to be expected.”
In the first half, Ouachita shot 46 percent from the field with nine points from Erica Sharp. Northwestern’s Kamera Bozeman led her team with five points at half, as the team only shot 32 percent from the field. The Lady Tigers led by 18 points at the end of the first half.
Both teams improved their shooting in the second half, as Ouachita shot 54 percent from the field and 62 percent from outside the arc. Northwestern shot 54 percent from the field and increased their 3-point shots from 0 percent in the first half to 43 percent in the second. Ouachita gained a total of 21 rebounds in the second half compared to Northwestern’s 11 rebounds, as Ouachita’s Nashia James contributed five.
“They put a lot of pressure on,” Crowder said. “They try to deny passes. They try to really pressure the ball and try to force you into turnovers, and I thought our girls handled it pretty well. We got a lot of easy looks and good shots against their pressure.” Ouachita converted Northwestern’s turnovers into 24 points, as both teams gave up 23 turnovers throughout the game.
Up next, the Lady Tigers (7-16, 5-12 GAC) will host Southwestern Oklahoma State University on Saturday, Feb. 22. The two teams will tipoff at 2 p.m. in Vining Arena.
