Lionesses regain first place with victory over Lady Pilots

 

By: Michael Stewart, Sports Information Director, Langston University

After dropping a home-and-home series against Texas Wesleyan near the end of January, the Langston Lionesses (ranked #9 in newest NAIA poll) have rattled off five consecutive wins, and are the only team in the Red River Athletic Conference that have earned more than 20 wins on the season.  Langston improved to 22-2 overall this season (16-2 in RRAC) with a 72-54 victory over previously first place LSU-Shreveport (18-6 overall; 16-2 in RRAC).

Both teams shot 37.3 percent from the floor, but Langston managed to pull away by putting up more overall shots (75 to 59) and by drilling more three pointers (six to two), even though nearly one-third of the home team’s shots came from beyond the arc.  Shontice Simmons and Kimberly Jones each managed to score 19 points, while Ayanna Jackson managed to chip in 14 points.  LSU-Shreveport also managed to have three players score in double-figures, as they were led by Jennifer Hicks who scored 15 points.

Since suffering consecutive losses to Texas Wesleyan by a combined total of eight points to end the best start in Langston University history at 17-0, the Lionesses have responded furiously.  Langston has won all of their games during their new five-game winning streak by at least six points, and their average margin of victory during the streak has been 26.6 points per game.

Amongst the top four teams in the Red River Athletic Conference, the Lionesses have the inside track to win their fourth consecutive RRAC Championship under Jerome Willis in just as many years as he has been at the helm of the program.  With six games left on the schedule, Langston can simply win out to win the conference crown, as LU swept LSU-Shreveport this season.  A loss by the Lady Pilots at this point in the season would essentially give Langston a two-game lead in the conference standings, as Langston would need to lose in order for LSU-Shreveport to retake the lead.  Even though Texas Wesleyan (17-5 overall, 12-4 in RRAC) managed to sweep Langston in the season series a couple of weeks ago, the Lady Rams were swept in their season series by LSU-Shreveport.  So, if Langston were to theoretically drop two of their final six games, LSU-Shreveport would still win the conference, even if the Lady Pilots and Lady Rams both win out.

Key games remaining in the RRAC women’s schedule include upcoming contests with Texas Wesleyan-Our Lady of the Lake (Feb. 20) and Langston vs. OLLU on Feb. 25 in San Antonio, Texas.  The Lady Saints (18-5 overall; 12-4 in RRAC) defeated the Lady Rams on Jan. 9 by a score of 82-75, and another win against them would allow them to play spoiler against Langston five days later.  OLLU would need a ton of help to win the conference championship, as they have already suffered a season sweep by LSU-Shreveport and an 80-64 loss to the Lionesses Jan. 14 inside C.F. Gayles’ Fieldhouse.

Langston looks to climb even higher in the NAIA’s Top 10 on Saturday night, when they travel to Muskogee, Okla. to play against Bacone College.  The Lionesses earned a 52-point victory over the Lady Warriors when the two teams last played inside C.F. Gayles’ Fieldhouse.  The score during the game on Jan. 9 was a 97-45 final.