The Shorthorn - Women's basketball overcomes second-half struggles; topples TSU, 71-59

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Women's basketball overcomes second-half struggles; topples TSU, 71-59

Written by Travis Detherage, The Shorthorn staff

Monday, 01 February 2010 06:28 PM

Senior guard Meghan Nelson overcame foul trouble and scored 28 points to help the Mavericks grind out a victory against Texas State 71-59 Saturday afternoon at Texas Hall.

Nelson committed her third foul and had to be taken out with 13:43 left in the game. TSU was able to take advantage of that and overcame a five-point deficit to get within one.

Head coach Samantha Morrow had enough and put Nelson back into the game.

Nelson started a 9-0 run by scoring four straight points to give the Mavericks the largest lead of the game 60-50. TSU got within five with 1:10 left, but the Mavericks held on. After the game, Morrow talked about the play of Nelson.

“She just doesn’t need to foul,” Morrow said smiling. “She could have played 37 minutes instead of 29. Come on she could have got 30 points but we’ll take 28.”

Nelson had an explanation for her number of fouls.

“I tend to get overly aggressive so I tend to pick up cheap fouls here and there,” Nelson said. “I just got to keep focus and keep telling myself don’t be greedy and take what they give you.”

“She just doesn’t need to foul. She could have played 37 minutes instead of 29. Come on she could have got 30 points but we’ll take 28.”

Samantha Morrow
Head Coach

Sluggish play by the Mavericks to start off the game enabled the Bobcats to keep it close throughout the first half. The Bobcats were only behind by one with 3:49 left in the first half, but the Mavericks closed out on a 11-4 run.

Morrow said her team played sloppily to start the game.

“We can’t have that,” Morrow said. “We should have been ahead 8-0 to start the game.”

The Bobcats were able to get back into the game due to the Mavericks shooting just 31 percent from the floor in the second half as opposed to the 51.7 percent the Mavericks shot in the first half.

Morrow said her team came out struggling in the second half.

“We struggled,” Morrow said. “I let them get back into it. We had a nice little lead and we were thinking we were going to come back out there and shove it down their throat and we didn’t.”

Junior guard Tamara Simmons continues to be a force to be reckoned with after scoring 14 points to help lead the offense when Nelson was on the bench.

Although Simmons picked up the slack, she said it’s easier to play when Nelson is on the court with her.

“It takes the stress off her or myself because we know we can rely on each other,” Simmons said. ”Its not just one person who has to get all the points and have to make everything happen. We can just rely on each other.”
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