RUSSELLVILLE — In a word, Arkansas Tech Coach Dave Wilbers chooses to describe Laura Beth Anderson as “reckless.”
The Golden Suns’ senior guard doesn’t mind charging into a mass of larger post bodies, and doesn’t concern herself with what will happen once she takes off from the floor in an attempt for points.
“That’s kind of her game,” Wilbers said. “She plays that way, and you’ve just got to kind of let her go.”
On Saturday, with Arkansas Tech, No. 5 in NCAA Division II, trying to hold on to a lead against No. 3 Delta State, Anderson came up with a pair of bone jarring layups that kept the Lady Statesmen from getting any closer than three points in the final two minutes.
Anderson finished with a teamhigh 19 points, but none were more important than five she scored in 47 seconds during the Golden Suns’ 72-62 victory in front of 2,125 at Tucker Coliseum.
“Laura Beth is amazing,” Tech forward Natalia Santos said. “Even when nobody is playing good, she’s always the one that brings the team up.”
Anderson’s first of two key baskets came with 2:03 left, when she drove the right side of the lane and, while falling away, put up a shot that fell through the hoop while she crashed to the floor.
Anderson made the free throw to complete the three-point play and, on the next possession, she went breezing down the lane off a screen that ended with another layup before falling to the floor.
“Tomorrow I might be [sore],”Anderson said afterward. “Right now there’s too much adrenaline pumping. ... It’s just kind of the way I play. I don’t know how to stand still.”
Anderson’s baskets helped push a 61-58 Arkansas Tech lead - the Golden Suns led by as many as 14 points in the second half - to 66-58 with 1:16 left.
The Golden Suns (22-2, 11-1) then made all six of their free throws over the final minute to seal the victory and take an outright lead over the Lady Statesmen (22-2, 10-2) in the Gulf South Conference West Division.
Anderson’s baskets were also important because less than a minute earlier, Santos fouled out after scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
Santos picked up her fourth foul with 5:19 left but stayed on the floor.
Wilbers said he worried a bit about leaving Santos in the game with four fouls and so much time left to play. But Delta State had whittled Arkansas Tech’s lead from 53-39 to 61-56 over seven minutes and right after Santos fouled out, Shameka Russell’s layup got Delta State to within 61-58 with 2:26 left.
“It’s always a hard decision as a coach - when to play your kids, when to pull them out,” Wilbers said. “But we were in crunch time there.”
Wilbers’ gamble didn’t pay off, but Anderson’s efforts made it so it didn’t matter.
Now the Golden Suns are two victories from earning the No. 1 seed from the West Division for the second consecutive season.
Arkansas Tech expects to see Delta State again in the Gulf South Tournament, like it did last season when the Golden Suns earned a double-overtime victory before beating them again in the final of an NCAA Division II South Regional.
Veronica Walker led Delta State with 21 points and Bug Cooper had 11, but most of those came in the lane while Arkansas Tech held its shooters at bay.
The Lady Statesmen scored 40 points in the lane and made 53 percent of their field goals, but only 2 of 11 three-pointers.
GULF SOUTH MEN ARKANSAS TECH 90, DELTA STATE 59
RUSSELLVILLE - Arkansas Tech made nine three-pointers in the first half to take a 33-point lead.
In all, the Wonder Boys (21-3, 12-0 Gulf South Conference) made 16 three-pointers - three off the school record - to help them coast to their 15th consecutive victory and remain unbeaten in the Gulf South West with two regular-season games remaining.
Johnie Davis led all scorers with 20 points on 4-of-8 three-point shooting and Jeremy Dunbar scored 19 points on 5 of 11 threepoint shooting.
Arkansas Tech Coach Doug Karleskint said he preaches every game for his team to get shots close to the rim, but when his players are shooting as well as they were Saturday, he allows for an adjustment in strategy.
“We talk about attacking the rim,” Karleskint said. “But when Johnie and Dunbar, when they’re shooting like that you’re dumb as a coach to not let them shoot threes.”
Laithe Massey added 11 points for the Wonder Boys, who are ranked No. 11 in NCAA Division II and haven’t lost since Dec. 16.
Jamarkus Holt scored 13 points and had 12 rebounds for Delta State (13-12, 7-5), which was playing without leading-scorer Phil Turner, who didn’t suit up for unspecified reasons.
Sports, Pages 33 on 02/20/2011