s
s
Stephanie Williams
Issue date: 3/17/06 Section: Sports
"Coulda, woulda, shoulda," says sophomore Lady Indian guard LaJeanna Howard as she touches and stares into the stone on her 2005 SLC championship ring.
As the maroon stone and silver-gold ring reflects off the lights in the basketball office, Howard looks down, shaking her head and belts out a long sigh.
"I keep thinking about what we should and could have done," Howard said. "It's tough to look at this ring, because in my heart I know I could be wearing two. You just can't take anything for granted."
What began as a quest for ULM to repeat as the Southland Conference champions and receive an automatic bid to the NCAA championships ended in heartbreak March 8 in Nacogdoches, Texas.
For the third time this season Stephen F. Austin dealt the Lady Indians a loss, only this time it has ended the team's season and any post-season hopes.
"I thought we had this one," said ULM head coach Mona Martin. "They played so hard and we didn't get many breaks. We just kept fighting, fighting, fighting."
SFA pulled out the 72-71 overtime thriller in front of a home crowd of 2113.
It appeared that the Lady Indians would take the victory down the stretch when senior Renata Dorsey drained one of her five 3-pointers with 17:40 left to play in regulation.
Thirty-five seconds later junior Melanie Williams nailed a three to give ULM its largest lead of the game 41-35.
The Lady Jacks connected on free throws to tie the score at 52 with 8:06 left, but Howard answered for the Lady Indians with back-to-back jumpers to give ULM the four-point advantage 56-52.
A 9-2 SFA run gave the Lady Jacks a 60-58 lead with only 1:45 left in regulation.
SFA's LaToya Mills, the SLC tournament MVP, increased the Lady Jacks' lead to 62-59 with one minute left, but another clutch trey by Howard tied the game up once again.
With only six seconds left Howard missed a jumper, but senior Aishie Banks pulled down the offensive rebound.
As the maroon stone and silver-gold ring reflects off the lights in the basketball office, Howard looks down, shaking her head and belts out a long sigh.
"I keep thinking about what we should and could have done," Howard said. "It's tough to look at this ring, because in my heart I know I could be wearing two. You just can't take anything for granted."
What began as a quest for ULM to repeat as the Southland Conference champions and receive an automatic bid to the NCAA championships ended in heartbreak March 8 in Nacogdoches, Texas.
For the third time this season Stephen F. Austin dealt the Lady Indians a loss, only this time it has ended the team's season and any post-season hopes.
"I thought we had this one," said ULM head coach Mona Martin. "They played so hard and we didn't get many breaks. We just kept fighting, fighting, fighting."
SFA pulled out the 72-71 overtime thriller in front of a home crowd of 2113.
It appeared that the Lady Indians would take the victory down the stretch when senior Renata Dorsey drained one of her five 3-pointers with 17:40 left to play in regulation.
Thirty-five seconds later junior Melanie Williams nailed a three to give ULM its largest lead of the game 41-35.
The Lady Jacks connected on free throws to tie the score at 52 with 8:06 left, but Howard answered for the Lady Indians with back-to-back jumpers to give ULM the four-point advantage 56-52.
A 9-2 SFA run gave the Lady Jacks a 60-58 lead with only 1:45 left in regulation.
SFA's LaToya Mills, the SLC tournament MVP, increased the Lady Jacks' lead to 62-59 with one minute left, but another clutch trey by Howard tied the game up once again.
With only six seconds left Howard missed a jumper, but senior Aishie Banks pulled down the offensive rebound.