ASU lets game, bid slip away

Arkansas State forward Jasmine Hunt (from left), guard Brittney Gill and forward Carlisha Wyatt react late in the second half Saturday against Western Kentucky in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship game in New Orleans.

Arkansas State forward Jasmine Hunt (from left), guard Brittney Gill and forward Carlisha Wyatt react late in the second half Saturday against Western Kentucky in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship game in New Orleans.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

NEW ORLEANS - The Arkansas State women’s basketball team will play in a postseason tournament for the first time since 2007, but it won’t be the NCAA Tournament.

Western Kentucky outscored ASU 18-4 over the final seven minutes on Saturday night, storming back to shock the top-seeded Red Wolves for a 61-60 victory in Saturday’s Sun Belt Conference tournament final at Lakefront Arena.

Aundrea Gamble’s last-second drive to the basket for ASU ended with a layup attempt that fell off the side of the backboard. Teammate Jalen O’Bannon grabbed the loose ball but couldn’t get another shot off before the buzzer sounded.

ASU Coach Brian Boyer stood in front of his team’s bench with his hands on his hips while watching the Hilltoppers celebrate their first Sun Belt Tournament title since 2008 and an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, a victory that seemed highly unlikely a few minutes earlier.

Boyer’s emotions showed in a postgame news conference 20 minutes later as he tried to explain how ASU lost after leading 56-43 with 7:05 to play.

“I think everybody is speechless right now,” Boyer said. “You’re all numb, to have a game finish like that.”

ASU (22-11), which will play in the WNIT by virtue of its Sun Belt regular-season title, gained its 13-point advantage after a three-point play by Gamble, who had 22 points and 13 rebounds.

That’s when Western Kentucky Coach Michelle Clark-Heard utilized a fullcourt press that didn’t create turnovers, but forced ASU to make quicker decisions and take shots out of its comfort zone.

“We just kept playing,” Clark-Heard said. “We never stopped and never gave up. … We were going to keep fighting and fighting until the end, and that’s what we did.”

ASU missed nine of its final 11 shots, and Western Kentucky (24-8) outscored ASU 16-2 in the next 4:35 to take a 59-58 lead with 2:30 to play.

Chastity Gooch, who had 26 points and 12 rebounds and was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament, scored with 3:19 left to get Western Kentucky within 58-56 and Bianca McGee’s three-pointer gave Western Kentucky its first lead since the game’s opening eight minutes.

ASU reclaimed the lead at 60-59 on Carlisha Wyatt’s basket, but Noble’s basket over Jane Morrill gave Western Kentucky the lead for good with 1:21 left.

Noble missed a shot that could have extended the Hilltoppers’ lead, and ASU’s Hanna Qedan was fouled after grabbing the rebound with 28 seconds left.

ASU inbounded to Gamble, who dribbled around the perimeter before attempting her drive to the basket.

“Western made a push and we weren’t able to stop it like we needed to,” said Morrill, who had 14 points. “We weren’t looking ahead at all. I know I’m speaking for myself, but I’m pretty sure I can speak for everybody else. It was just an extra push that we couldn’t get stopped.”

Gamble got emotional when asked about the final play, but Boyer said he wouldn’t have changed anything about the final few seconds.

“Timing of runs are so crucial in the game of basketball,” Boyer said. “Sometimes it’s perfect timing. Western’s run was an absolutely perfect timing. And we didn’t get it stopped, hence they’re cutting the nets down and we’re not.”

Gamble and Morrill were each named to the all-tournament team and ASU will play in the WNIT for the first time since beating Murray State and losing to Wisconsin in the second round in 2007.

The 2014 matchups will be announced late Monday night after the NCAA Tournament field is unveiled.

ASU wasn’t thinking about that late Saturday night.

“If you ever have to experience a locker room like that, that’s when you realize how much it hurts,” Boyer said. “We’ve celebrated in there a lot this year. Just not tonight.”

Sports, Pages 21 on 03/16/2014