Boxscore
ATLANTA, Ga. – Saint Augustine's University played Lady Falcon basketball on Friday, Nov. 30, and the result was a 68-62 victory over Clark Atlanta University in the Lady Panthers Classic at Epps Gymnasium on the campus of Clark Atlanta.
Their pressure defense, a trademark under Head Coach
Rachel Bullard, caused 30 Clark Atlanta turnovers, which led to 24 points and determined the game's outcome. The Lady Falcons (2-3 overall) led most of the game and defused a late rally in the end.
After a tough 13-point home loss two nights before to the University of D.C., the Lady Falcons had little time to prepare for the Lady Panthers (2-4). As it turned out, they only needed one day to get their defense in gear.
“Everybody was on the same page,” Bullard said about the Lady Falcons' defense. “We were active on the ball and in the passing lanes.”
The Lady Falcons recorded 17 steals including four by
Temperance Jacobs (Sr./McDonough, Ga.) and three by
Briana Arrington (So./Richmond, Va.). The steals, combined with cold shooting from the Lady Panthers, helped the Lady Falcons forge a 12-point lead at the midway point of the second half. The Lady Panthers made a late surge to pull within three at the 3:18 mark, but
Regime McCombs (Fr./Greenville, N.C.) hit a big three-pointer and the Lady Falcons connected on 4 of 6 free throw attempts down the stretch.
McCombs came off the bench to lead a balanced scoring attack with 12 points including 4-for-6 three-point shooting. Reserves
Jasmine Cuffee (So./Norfolk, Va.) and
Terri Jacobs (Fr./McDonough, Ga.) each scored 10 points with
Terri Jacobs adding eight rebounds as the Lady Falcons outscored the Lady Panthers 46-21 in bench points.
Temperance Jacobs (Sr./McDonough, Ga.), who started, finished with eight points but led the team in rebounds (12) and steals. All but two players scored for the Lady Falcons.
“We started with defensive pressure and it resulted in easy baskets on the other end,” Bullard said. “We kept rotating fresh players and it worked out for us.”
Ericka Sumpter paced the Lady Panthers with 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven blocks. Nekia Sockwell scored 13 points followed Conisha Hicks and Shavon Caldwell with 10 points each. The Lady Panthers played stout defense as well, collecting 11 steals and forcing 23 turnovers, but the Lady Falcons' defense was much better on Friday.
After five games, the Lady Falcons are developing into a resilient team. Featuring nine freshmen and sophomores combined, the Lady Falcons allowed UDC to shoot nearly 60 percent on Wednesday, but bounced back with a strong defensive effort against Clark Atlanta.
“I am surprised by the way our young players are handling wins and losses and being focused on what is important,” Bullard said. “We played good defense against a pretty good Clark Atlanta team.”
The Lady Falcons play again Saturday, Dec. 1, against Miles College on the last day of the Lady Panthers Classic. Tip-off is 2 p.m.
