Lady Aggies stumble at East Central
January 20, 2005ADA, Okla. (Jan. 20) - Freshman Taylor Campbell scored a career-high 21 and Christina Buben added 19, but the Lady Aggie offense wilted in the second half of a 70-60 loss to East Central on Thursday at ECU's Kerr Activities Center.
Coach Dick Halterman's squad led by as many as 11 in the second half, but East Central closed the game with a 20-8 run, snapping a four-game losing streak while handing Cameron (6-10) its third straight defeat. The game was the Lone Star Conference North Division opener for both teams.
Buben and Campbell were the only players to score more than six points for the Lady Aggies, who shot just 26.3 percent from the field in the second half. Both players converted five three-pointers in the game - Buben going 5-of-8 from behind the arc, while Campbell hit on 5-of-9 attempts. The rest of the Lady Aggies were 1-of-15 from three-point range in the contest.
Cameron missed its first six tries from behind the line before Campbell and Buben hit back-to-back treys to give the Lady Aggies a 16-14 lead midway through the opening period. East Central regained a brief lead, but Campbell again put the Lady Aggies on top with a three-pointer and Cameron led the rest of the half. Merrisa Martinuzzi returned from injury to see limited action and gave Cameron it's biggest lead of the period with a three-pointer that made it 37-28 just before intermission.
The Lady Aggies increased their lead to 11 in the second half on a Buben trey and Brittany Cooksey kept the lead in double-figures with a pair of free throws at the 13:33 mark that made it 50-40.
But it was all East Central from there. The Lady Tigers, who entered the game at the bottom of the Lone Star Conference in a handful of offensive statistical categories, hit five of their next eight shots to fuel a 15-2 run and take the lead. Buben got the Lady Aggies back within two with another three-pointer with 3:41 to play, but a pair of bench technicals in the final two minutes of the game helped ECU convert 10-of-11 free throw attempts down the stretch to get the victory.
ECU finished the game 24-of-33 from the charity stripe, while Cameron converted 11-of-13 tosses.
Cameron will look to rebound on Saturday, hosting Southeastern Oklahoma State in an LSC North Division matchup scheduled to tipoff at 2 p.m. The Lady Savages (3-13) have won two of their last three contests, including a 64-60 victory over Southwestern Oklahoma State on Wednesday.
