Ashley Houts scores 15 points in home finale to lead No. 24 Georgia past Arkansas 69-48
By APSunday, February 28, 2010
Houts leads Georgia past Arkansas in home finale
ATHENS, Ga. — Ashley Houts scored 15 points in her final home game to lead No. 24 Georgia to a 69-48 victory over Arkansas on Sunday.
Freshman reserve Jasmine Hassell added 13 points for Georgia (22-7, 9-7 Southeastern Conference). Charity Ford scored 12 points for Arkansas (12-17, 4-12).
Georgia bolted to a 12-0 lead in the first seven minutes. Arkansas did not score its first field goal until 11:03, when C’eira Ricketts scored off a steal.
The Razorbacks came back with six straight points, but they quickly fell behind again and trailed 32-23 at the half.
Lyndsay Harris had a three-point play for Arkansas to cut the gap to 45-38 with 13:03 to play, but Georgia answered with a 7-0 run to push the lead to 14. Arkansas trailed by double digits the rest of the way.
“We got the lead down to six or eight,” Arkansas coach Tom Collen said. “What happens with this team is that they cannot make it over the hump. I just didn’t see that we believed we could win.”
The game was also the final home appearance for Georgia senior Angel Robinson. Robinson had nine points and seven rebounds.
“Normally it is a really hard thing,” Georgia coach Andy Landers said. “You see them standing out there, and you realize that this is the last time I am going to have these kids.”
Georgia started the season 16-0 before slumping. The Lady Dogs had lost six of eight heading into Thursday’s 65-49 win at South Carolina.
“I don’t know where we are back from,” Landers said. “I think we are back from being disappointed. It’s not that we went on a terrible trip. It was not an enjoyable slide. I think it was mental and not physical.”
Landers was proud of the way that the Lady Dogs played in the regular-season finale.
“I feel better,” he said. “We have played well and have rebounded well.”
Houts will leave Georgia having played more minutes that any other Lady Bulldog.
“Today was bittersweet like everybody says,” Houts said. “The biggest joy was having a good game and beating a good team.”
