The Gazette

Issue date: 3/26/08 Section: Sports

The Lady Lions from Langston University had an unbelievable season. With only seven players for the majority of the season, they made an unbelievable run into the Sweet Sixteen of the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball National Tournament and unfortunately couldn't advance past Trevecca Nazarene University (TNU) of Tennesse, falling 66-78 to the Lady Trojans.  

 When the Lady Lions took the court for their second round game of the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball National Tournament, they had to start the game without the help of senior Jamie Skinner, who led the Lady Lions in points and rebounds in the first round game of the tournament. 

 Early on, Skinner's absence wasn't noticed as the Lady Lions jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead, started by a three-point shot from Dominique Thomas and a steal and lay-up by Sachia Clemmons. Thomas and Clemmons both had 10 first-half points. 

 Langston pushed the score to an early 10-point lead at the 16:40 mark in the game, right before TNU hit their first shot of the game. Within one minute, TNU was within three points of the Lady Lions and eventually tied the game. The game saw three ties and five lead changes in the first half alone. 

TNU took a 6-point lead into the locker room at the half and extended their lead to 12-points early in the second half. It took four and a half minutes before Langston scored their first bucket of the second half, and chipped the TNU lead down to five. The Lady Lions could never recover.  

With more than six minutes to go, the Lady Lions lost Latesha Calton to five fouls. Before fouling out, Calton scored 18 points and pulled down 13 rebounds. Thomas, the flashy point guard from Angelton, Texas, also added 18 points and six assists for the Lady Lions. 

Sophomore Jenissa Harris also pulled down a double-double, scoring 11 points and getting 10 rebounds in just over 26 minutes of action. After an explosive first half, Clemmons ended the game with 13 points.

The Lady Trojans had five players end with double-figure scoring. Senior Kristin Archie led all scorers with 20 points. Mariska Reed added 18 points for TNU, while Abby Lawson finished with 15, and K.C. Van Atta had 10. Before fouling out, TNU junior Jennifer Bognar pulled down 12 points and 12 rebounds. 

The Lady Lions have ended the 2008 season with a remarkable 31-2 record and will return Calton, Harris, Caedia Fraser, and Sharnelia Johnson next season. 

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