The Lady Cardinals basketball team lost in the first round of the Women’s National Invitational Tournament to the University of South Alabama Jaguars, 71-72, in the Montagne Center, Friday, finishing their season 24-7 overall and 17-1 in Southland Conference play.
“We lost our composure,” head coach Robin Harmony said. “We shot 68 percent from the free-throw line. We had free-throws to hit, if we had made those free-throws it would have made a difference. We had some point-blankers to put back up and we didn’t execute on them.”
With the loss, the 42-home game win streak for the Cards has ended. The streak began Nov. 16, 2016 against the University of St. Thomas with LU winning, 95-49.
“I guess you don’t really believe it is happening,” Harmony said. “It was three years that we didn’t lose. You just have to start again — we will start again. I don’t think our kids were 100 percent focused, even the guys on the bench. They weren’t engaged, we have to grow up a bit and mature.
“If you aren’t the one in the game or you are not the one we are going to — people get in their feelings. That is something we have to work on as a team.”
The Lady Cards shot 32.4 percent (23-of-71) from the floor, 27.6 percent (8-of-29) from the three-point line and 68 percent (17-of-25) from the free-throw line.
In the first quarter, both teams traded baskets for the first two minutes tied at 5 until guard Moe Kinard scored five straight points, first on a fast break layup and a 3-pointer putting the Cards ahead 10-7. The Cards hung on to the lead and stretched it to four after Kinard hit another 3-pointer. The Cards would hold on to the lead for five minutes until Jaguar’s forward Antoinette Lewis hit a layup to put them ahead 15-17 with 2:28 remaining. The Jaguars held their lead to one after Kinard hit a fast break layup to end the quarter 19-20 in the Jaguars’ favor.
In the second quarter, South Alabama stretched their lead to six points, 25-19, after a pair of free-throws from guard Damaya Telemaque. With 8:09 left in the quarter, Kinard got a technical foul for slamming the ball on the ground and bouncing into the stands putting her out of the game temporarily.
With Kinard out, the Cards slowly chipped away at the lead and Kinard returned to the game with 6:19 remaining. The Cards took the lead with 4:50 left after a layup by guard Chastadie Barrs put them ahead 26-25. LU continued to extend the lead to four points, 31-27, after another Barrs layup. The Jaguars then shrunk the lead to two, 32-30, with 1:28 left. The Cards closed out the half by scoring the final four points in the quarter leading 36-30, going into the locker room.
In the third quarter, in the first minute and a half, the Cards stretched their lead to eight, 42-34, after another three from Kinard. After the lead was trimmed down to four, 42-38, Kinard added five straight points to put the Cards in the lead at nine, 47-38, with 6:50 left in the third. LU then extended the lead to 11, 57-46, after a layup from guard Angel Hastings. The Jaguars scored the final two points of the quarter as LU led, 57-48.
In the fourth quarter, LU guard Shedricka Pierson hit a layup returning the lead to 11, 59-48. South Alabama continued to fight and trimmed the lead to five, 59-54, after a Lewis layup with 7:34 left in the game. LU then stretched the lead to seven, but the Jaguars fought and trimmed the lead down three, 62-59, after guard Alexis Sykes hit a three.
The Cards continued to hold on to their single possession lead with 1:57 left. LU led 68-65, after center Umaja Collins hit a free throw. On the next possession for South Alabama, guard Shaforia Kines hit a 3-pointer tying the game at 68. A minute later, a free throw by Lewis put the Jaguars ahead by one. With 49 seconds left in the game, Kinard fouled out forcing the Cards to substitute in Pierson. LU battled, but guard Ashlan Miles’ 3-point buzzer-beater bounced off the rim leaving the Cards defeated by two, 71-73, at the end of the game.
Kinard led the Cardinals with 36 points in the contest as she hit six 3-pointers for a third-straight game.
“I just wanted to get the ball in the basket,” Kinard said. “If I did that then I felt like the rest of the team could contribute — that I could get them going as well.”
Barrs scored 14 points and recorded five steals, which gave her 192 on the season. She now holds the NCAA single season record for which she tied last year with 191.
Kinard said after the loss she reflected on her time at LU and how much she has grown over the years.
“I just want to say thank you (Harmony) for believing in me,” she said. “I came from the University of Houston, and the atmosphere here is so much different. I love my fans and everybody. I am going to miss it a lot — I just left it all out there on the floor.”
