MONTICELLO – The University of Arkansas at Monticello women’s basketball team ended a five-game losing skid to the Arkansas Tech Golden Suns with an 81-64 win Thursday evening in Gulf South Conference play.
 
The Blossoms (13-4, 5-1 GSC) defeated the No. 20 Golden Suns (14-5, 4-2 GSC) for the first time since the 2005-06 season and also gives UAM head coach Chris Ratcliff his first win over Arkansas Tech since taking over the helm of the program prior to the 2006-07 season.
 
The win also gives UAM sole possession of second place in the GSC-West Division, trailing only 6-0 Delta State.
 
Despite trailing by three at halftime, the Blossoms outscored the Golden Suns 45-25 in the second half to record the lop-sided victory.
 
For the entire game, UAM connected on 25-of-59 field goal attempts for a 42 percent mark from the field, while ATU hit 23-of-50 shots in the contest, only 8-of-27 in the second half.
 
Senior Andrea Dubose (Hickory, Miss.) and junior Monica Perkins-Miller (Houston, Texas) tied for the team-high lead in scoring, both tallying 17 points. Dubose hit 5-of-11 field goal attempts, all of which were from three-point range. Perkins-Miller hit 4-of-12 shots from the field, but earned seven of her points from the charity stripe where she hit 9-of-11.
 
Also reaching double-digits were sophomore Erika Brown (Shreveport, La.) with 13 points and junior Bethaney Turner (Mountain View, Ark.) with 10 points.
 
Arkansas Tech’s Amanda Grappe led all scorers in the contest with 19 points.
 
The Blossoms continue GSC play this Saturday, January 31 in Magnolia, Ark. for a 5:30 p.m. contest with Southern Arkansas.
 
Fans can catch the action live on the radio in Southeast Arkansas at KHBM-FM, 93.7. That broadcast can also be heard live over the Internet at UAM’s official athletics website, uamsports.com.