Box Score MONTICELLO, Ark.—A 16-2 run late in the game helped host Arkansas-Monticello pull away for a 74-62 win over the Christian Brothers University Lady Bucs Saturday afternoon in the Gulf South Conference West Division opener for both schools.

The Cotton Blossoms (9-3, 1-0 GSC West) used a 19-4 run in the first half to turn a 17-11 Lady Buc (7-7, 0-1) lead with 9:59 remaining in the half into a 30-21 UAM lead with 1:18 remaining in the half.

While they never regained the lead, the Lady Bucs kept trimming the lead to two points three different times before putting the game away with the decisive 16-2 run. A Tameka Wooten (Cordova, Tenn./Cordova HS) three-pointer trimmed the lead to 45-43 with 8:11 remaining in the half, but UAM’s 16-2 run gave them a 61-45 lead with 4:19 to play. The Lady Bucs never came closer than nine.

Kat Butler (Nashville, Tenn./Brentwood HS) led the Lady Bucs with 16 points, while Wooten had 13 points. Sheena DeBose (Tunica, Miss./Rosa Fort HS) added 11 points off the bench, while Crystal Shelton (Nashville, Tenn./Hume Fogg) reached double digits in rebounding for the third straight game with 10.

Andrea Dubose led four Cotton Blossoms in double figures with 17 points. Erika Brown scored a dozen points. Nicole Lowe added 11, while Sharlene Murphy scored 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
UAM out-rebounded the Lady Bucs 48-32, with a 20-6 margin on the offensive boards, and they won the turnover battle 18-10.

The Lady Bucs shot 49.3 percent (22-of-56) from the floor to the Cotton Blossoms’ 35.9 percent (23-of-64).
The Lady Bucs will return to action Thursday night at 6 p.m. as they visit Ouachita Baptist. They come home Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. to face Delta State in their GSC West home opener.