Box Score

A costly turnover with eight seconds left in the game proved to be a dagger to the heart for the Lady Wildcats as Howard Payne would knock down a 3-pointer with five seconds left in the game to give the Yellow Jackets an 87-85 victory over Louisiana College on Tuesday night in Natchitoches. LC will return to their home away from home at Prather Coliseum on Thursday night to host Sul Ross State in another American Southwest Conference matchup.

The Wildcats started strong in the first quarter with the play of Zharian Maxmillion scoring eight of LC's first 10 points of the game helping to build a 16-10 advantage mid way into the first quarter.  The Wildcats held a seven point lead with less than two minutes left in the opening frame but Howard Payne rallied to end the period with an 8-0 run to take their first lead of the game on a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left in the first.

LC responded to the run to start the second quarter and reestablished a six point advantage with 7:37 left in the half, but Howard Payne began to take control of the game with their pressure defense.  LC committed 12 turnovers in the first half with eight of them coming in the final seven minutes of the second quarter, allowing the Yellow Jackets to hold a five point lead at halftime, 43-38.

The Wildcats came out strong in the third quarter like they had done to start the game and put together a 10-2 run over the first two and a half minutes of the second half to take a 48-45 lead over the Yellow Jackets.  LC would hold the lead for the remainder of the quarter, but were unable to pull away from Howard Payne and another 3-pointer in the final second of the quarter gave the Jackets a 65-63 lead going into the final quarter.

Howard Payne used the momentum from the end of the third to build an eight point lead after an 14-6 run through the mid way point of the fourth quarter and held a 77-66 lead with 5:56 left in the game. Thanks to near perfect free throw shooting down the stretch, 9 out 10, the Wildcats would erase the double digit deficit and regain the lead with just over a minute left on a layup by Maxmillion at 83-82.  After a pair of missed 3-pointers from the Wildcats on their next possession to potentially secure the victory, Howard Payne took the lead back on a layup with 12 seconds left. Brooke Jones would answer for LC on the other end to give the lead back to the Wildcats.  After a turnover by the Yellow Jackets gave the ball back to the Wildcats, the inbound pass was to tall for Maxmillian and fell to the shooting hand of Howard Payne's Presley McKethan who knocked down the game winner with five seconds left.

The inside play of Brooke Jones and Zharian Maxmillian led the way for the Wildcats in the game.  Jones finished with with a season high in points and rebounds for her second double-double of the year with 22 points and 12 rebounds.  Maxmillian also had a season high 19 points in the game, and RyDeja McQuarn and Karlee Teddlie ended in double figures for the Wildcats as well. 

The Wildcats will return to Northwestern State's Prather Coliseum in Natchitoches on Thursday night to take on American Southwest Conference opponent Sul Ross. Tip off is scheduled for 5:30 pm.