Feb 8th, 2007 10:32PM
by:

By STEVE EAST
UCA SID

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — The inside duo of Charity Egenti and Evelyn Edwards dominated for the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks in a 64-54 victory over the University of Central Arkansas Sugar Bears on Thursday night at Johnson Coliseum.

Egenti, a 6-foot-3 senior and the No. 3 scorer in the Southland Conference, had 17 points and 7 rebounds, while the 6-foot Edwards had 14 points and a career-high 20 rebounds (11 offensive). SFA (15-8, 7-3) scored 38 points on the inside and outrebounded UCA 58-39.

With that kind of inside power, the Ladyjacks could still win despite shooting  32.9 percent from the field and making only one 3-pointer.

“We just allowed them to control the inside and that was the difference,’ said UCA head coach Checola Seals-Horton. “They just did what they needed to do. They made their defensive stops and and made some baskets, and then we’d allow  them to get four or five offensive rebounds and eventually put it back in.

“You can’t play like that against good teams. Egenti is a heck of a player and she did what she is supposed to do. They’ve got a good team."

UCA senior forward Caronica Randle, the leading scorer in the SLC at 19.4 points per game, was held to two points (0 for 8 from the field), a pair of free throws late in the first half. It was only the second time this season she did not score in double figures.

Junior  Allyson Sample came off the bench and led the Sugar Bears with 15 points, hitting two three-pointers and pulling down 7 rebounds. Sophomore Mariesha Piggee followed with 10 points as the only other Sugar Bears with more than six points.

UCA shot 33.9 percent from the field and made only 3 of 19 from 3-point range (15.8 percent).

“I thought we had some kids step up and play tonight," Seals-Horton said, “especially off the bench. Ally really played hard the whole night, and Mariesha did, too. That second group really stepped in in the second half and kept us in it.

“It was a good learning experience for some of our younger kids. We were at the point where you can’t do any worse. When you’re in that situation, you have to be ready to step in there and play, night in and night out."

UCA (9-13, 3-7) got 30 points from its bench and only 24 from its starters. Second-leading scorer Renita Dobbins, a senior point guard,  finished with 4 points and 4 assists. The Sugar Bears’ starting five shot a combined 8 for 33 from the field.

After trailing 37-28 at halftime, UCA fell behind even further when Natashia Green hit a 3-pointer with 13:30 remaining for a 46-34 lead. Seals-Horton went to her bench almost exclusively the rest of the way and that unit cut the lead to six points midway through the second half.

The Sugar Bears host Sam Houston State at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Farris Center.