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PENSACOLA, Fla., – Amber Rutherford hit a jumper with
four seconds remaining to lift the University of North Alabama
women’s basketball team to a 60-59 road win over West Florida
Saturday in the Gulf South Conference opener for both teams.
The shot capped
a UNA rally in which the Lions trailed by as many as 17 in the first
half and by six in the final two minutes of play.
UWF led 59-53
at the two-minute mark when Kierra McCleary connected on a
three-pointer to close the gap. Rutherford then took an assist from
Shay Ashford and scored a basked with 1:22 remaining to pull the
Lions to within one. The Argonauts had chances to extend their lead
but missed a three-pointer and a free throw in the final minute of
play.
With the
winning shot, the Hatton native finished with a game-high 25 points.
She also pulled down eight rebounds. Danae Lawrence also had a solid
outing with seven points and 11 rebounds for the Lions.
The Argonauts
led 30-13 with 4:49 remaining in the first half before UNA closed
the gap to 32-27 at intermission. Brianna Abrams scored seven of her
eight points in the final 4:39 of the half to key the 14-2 run.
The win evens
UNA’s record at 7-7 with a 1-0 mark in GSC play. West Florida falls
to 7-9, 0-1 on the year. The Lions will travel to Valdosta State on
Monday for another key conference showdown. Tip-off against the
fifth-ranked Lady Blazers is set for 5 p.m. CST.
Printable Game Statistics -
West Florida |
