Nationally top-ranked Arkansas Tech set a school record for points in an NCAA Division II Tournament game and rolled into the women’s South Regional semifinals with a 102-65 victory over the Fort Valley State Lady Wildcats at Tucker Coliseum in Russellville on Friday night.
Arkansas Tech (28-2) advances to the NCAA Division II Tournament South Regional semifinals at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 12. The Golden Suns will face Florida Tech, which defeated Tampa 56-54 on Friday.
Tech’s Jenny Vining hit five first-half 3-pointers to stake the Golden Suns to a 58-40 halftime lead.
The margin never dipped below 15 points in the second half as Arkansas Tech improved to 8-0 all-time in the first round of the NCAA Tournament (Tech received first-round byes in 1998 and 2000).
Vining finished with 24 points. She was 9-of-18 from the field, including 6-of-14 from 3-point range. Natalia Santos notched 20 points and nine rebounds for the Golden Suns, while Katie Horsman went 5-for-5 from beyond the 3-point arc and had 16 points.
Tech’s Laura Beth Anderson scored 13 points and matched her career high with 11 assists. Samanta Ludwig tied her career high in scoring with 12 points. Ludwig also had eight rebounds.
The Golden Suns were 35-of-59 (59 percent) from the field and 11-of-21 (52 percent) from 3-point range. Tech finished with a 54-34 rebounding edge, and the Suns were 21-of-25 (84 percent) at the free throw line.
Arkansas Tech extended its home winning streak to 34 consecutive games, the third-longest such streak in the history of Golden Suns basketball.
Fort Valley State was 24-of-79 (30 percent) from the field. KaDiedra Freeland paced the Lady Wildcats (22-10) with 19 points.
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