The 2014-15 season for Georgia State women’s basketball came to a close on Wednesday afternoon in New Orleans as the Panthers were eliminated from the Sun Belt tournament with a 71-54 loss to the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (UALR) Trojans.
First Half
UALR got on the board first as senior guard Taylor Gault made a jump shot on the Trojans’ first possession. Kennesha Nichols answered with two of her own, tying the game at two.
The Trojans later embarked on a 7-0 run as Gault upped her early point total six and junior guard Alexius Dawn made a three, increasing the lead to 9-2.
With the score at 11-4, Gault made two free throws after Morgan Jackson fouled her, extending the UALR advantage to 13-4. Logan then scored four consecutive points, bringing the Panthers within five at 13-8.
A Georgia State turnover led to senior UALR forward Kiera Clark’s first two points of the game. Logan later fouled senior guard Ka’Nesheia Cobbins. She made one of two from the line, growing UALR’s lead to 16-8.
With the score at 18-10, Alisha Andrews’ first three of the game and Haley Gerrin’s third and fourth points drew Georgia State within three at 18-15. Dawn’s second three extended the lead to six at 21-15 prior to Ashley Watson’s first pair of points, making the score 21-17.
After a UALR timeout, Cobbins and junior Trojans forward Shanity James each put up two-pointers, growing their lead back to eight at 25-17.
Gerrin’s fifth and sixth points drew the Panthers within six at 25-19. Cobbins later placed a layup and a free throw after Ponder fouled her, upping the lead to 28-19.
With the score at 31-22, Gaby Moss was charged with a foul against Cobbins, who made two more from the line as the Trojans extended the lead to 33-22, going into halftime.
Second Half
UALR started the second frame with Gault scoring five straight points as the Trojans led 38-22. Andrews’answered with three for Georgia State, cutting the deficit to 38-25.
With the score at 41-28, Andrews’ seventh and eighth points made it a 41-30 game. UALR extended its lead to 49-30 with an 8-0 run as Dawn scored three, Gault and Cobbins each made two-pointers, and James made a free throw after Nichols was charged with a foul.
Georgia State responded with an 11-0 run as Ashlee Cole scored three, Watson, Nichols and Gerrin scored two each, and Logan made one free throw, cutting the deficit to 49-41. Dawn later made another three, upping the Trojans’ lead back to 11 at 52-41.
UALR maintained its 11-point lead with scores of 54-43, 56-45, 58-47, 60-49, and 63-52. With less than four minutes remaining, Gault and sophomore forward Kaitlyn Pratt each contributed four points to an 8-0 Trojans run, upping their lead to 71-52 with under a minute remaining.
Nichols made a jump shot with eight seconds remaining, producing a 71-54 score. Eight seconds later, the Panthers were eliminated from the tournament.
Women’s basketball ends the 2014-15 season with a 13-17 record and a mark of 8-13 in Sun Belt play. In addition to this being the last season for seniors Logan, Andrews, Watson, Kayla Nola, and Miranda Smith, head coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener is also in the last year of her five-year contract.
| Georgia State | UALR |
|---|---|
| Logan: 14 points, 10 rebounds | Andrews: 11 points |
| Gault: 23 points | Cobbins: 15 points, 10 assists |
