Just hours after racking up the LSC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors, Tarleton State’s Kiara Wright lived up to the billing in Wednesday’s opening game of the LSC Championship at the Allen Event Center.
Wright made her first seven shots and led the No. 2 seeded TexAnns to a rather easy 84-55 win over Texas A&M-Commerce, the tournament’s seventh-seed. The Lions had knocked off Tarleton in the regular-season finale last Saturday 74-69 in Commerce.
But thanks to a hot shooting start by Wright, who led all scorers with 18 points, there would be no upset this time in Allen. TSU led by as much as 31 in the first half and took a 50-21 lead into halftime after shooting a sizzling 63.3 percent in the first 20 minutes. The second half was more of the same as Commerce never got it closer than 22.
Tarleton improves to 20-7 and advances to Friday afternoon’s semifinal round against the winner of Texas Woman’s University-Texas A&M Kingsville on Thursday.
Although the Lions entered the tourney winning three of their last four, the season comes to an end for Commerce with a 7-20 record.
The TexAnns jumped out to a 12-0 behind five buckets by Wright, who led all rebounders with 13. Fellow senior Shanae Lowrance also hit her first three baskets and finished with 13 points.
Tarleton had four players in double-figure scoring as Kathy Thomas added 12, while Brianna Bledsoe had 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Just as important, TSU found a way to neutralize Commerce senior forward Breanna Harris in the early going. Harris, a first-team LSC standout and the conference’s third-leading scorer (15.0) and second-leading rebounder (9.6). Harris had just six points in the first half but managed to end up with 14 and 10 boards. Harris, the Lions’ only double-figure scorer on Wednesday, scored at least 10 points in 24 of 27 games this season.
Tarleton State Notes
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It was the fourth time TSU had scored 50 or more points in a half this season
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Wright tallied her 20th double-double of the season with 18 points and 13 rebounds and 57th of her career
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It marked the 20th win of the season for TSU and fourth of its NCAA tenure.
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Tarleton State improved to 19-1 when scoring 70 points or more
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Shanae Lowrance moved into ninth all-time in blocks with two for a total of 82.
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The starting lineup of Kathy Thomas, Brianna Bledsoe, Meagan O’Dell, Shanae Lowrance and Kiara Wright improved to 4-1 on the year
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The win marked TSU’s seventh in the LSC Tournament as it improved to 7-10
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Recorded a 12-2 run over first 3:59 and 19-4 through first 6:30
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Held TAMUC to 2 of first 9 from the field and forced five turnovers
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Kiara Wright had five buckets in first 3:30 of the game
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Tarleton led 50-21 at intermission and shot 63.3 percent from the field in the first half (19-30)
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Held TAMUC to 8 of 28 from the field for 28.6 percent
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Wright was 7 of 8 from the field for 14 points and five rebounds in the first half
Texas A&M-Commerce Notes
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The Lions finish the season with an 8-20 overall record and 0-2 in neutral site games.
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Texas A&M Commerce is 9-18 (.333) overall in the Lone Star Conference Tournament and 2-4 since winning the league title in 2007.
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This was first loss for the Lions against the TexAnns in the LSC Tournament; Texas A&M Commerce was 2-0 against Tarleton State prior to Wednesday’s Quarterfinal.
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Prior to Wednesday’s contest both teams split their regular season match ups with each team winning on their respective courts.
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La’Tisha Hearne made Texas A&M-Commerce’s first field-goal 3:55 into the game.
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At the half Texas A&M Commerce allowed a season high 50 points off of 63.3% (19-30) shooting by Tarleton State.
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In the second half A&M-C allowed only allowed one field goal by Tarleton State in the first 6:24 minutes.
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With 10 boards against the TexAnns, senior forward Brenna Harris capped off her A&M-C career with 762 rebounds.
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Harris’ 14 points was her 24 double-figure game of the season and ninth in a row; she also moved up to fifth all-time at Texas A&M Commerce with 1,140.