SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Rogers State women's basketball team came up just short in a 56-54 loss at St. Mary's on Thursday (Feb. 15) at Bill Greehey Arena.
In a close back-and-forth game with nine lead changes and the largest lead in the game of only nine points early, the host Rattlers made a few more plays in the final minutes to earn the tight win.
Senior guard
Nikola Nedoroscikova put the Cats up three points with 3:42 remaining on a driving layup for a 48-45 score.
StMU, however, gained control with six straight points on a three-point play and then a 3-pointer from Arysia Porter for a 51-48 margin with less than three minutes left.
Darian Jackson cut the deficit to one point at 51-50 with 2:38 on the clock, but the Rattlers extended the edge back to three at 53-50 on another basket from Porter at the 1:07 mark.
With less than one minutes left, Jackson had a chance to pull the Cats to within one again, but she went 1-for-2 shooting at the free throw line for a 53-51 score with 41 seconds remaining.
Needing a stop late, RSU was whistled for a foul in the final seconds of the shot clock and with only 12 seconds left in the game. StMU's Tia Mason sank two free throws to make it 55-51.
RSU still had a shot after
Lindsey Byfield hit a 3-pointer with 3 seconds on the clock, but the navy and red ran out of time in the 56-54 loss.
Early in the game, the Cats used an 11-2 run to take a 4-4 score and go up 15-6 after one period, the largest advantage of the game. Byfield sank two 3-pointers and Nedoroscikova added a triple as well during the 11-2 spurt.
The Rattlers pulled back into the game in the second period and the game was tied at 25-25 at halftime. The second half remained tight with neither team leading by more than four points in the final 20 minutes.
Byfield posted a career-high 17 points as she hit five 3-pointers in 33 minutes.
Lauren Schuldt totaled a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds.
StMU's Porter went for a game-high 21 points and added 11 rebounds for a double-double.
The Hillcats end their three-game road trip at Texas A&M International on Saturday (Feb. 15) at 1 p.m. in Laredo, Texas. Radio coverage will be available on 91.3 FM.
