MONTICELLO – Senior Andrea Dubose scored a game-high 17 points to lead the University of Arkansas at Monticello women’s basketball team to a 74-62 win in the Gulf South Conference opener on Saturday afternoon.
 
Christian Brothers jumped out to a seven–point lead with 12:47 left in the first half, forcing UAM head coach Chris Ratcliff to use a timeout to settle his team. Out of the timeout, UAM used a 12-3 scoring run to re-gain the lead at 19-17 with eight minutes left in the half. That run was aided by back-to-back three-pointers from junior Nicole Lowe (Jackson, Miss.).
 
The Blossoms were able to gain their largest lead of the first half with just over one minute left by a lay-up from sophomore Erika Brown (Shreveport, La.). CBU answered with a three-point play from Erin Nigh, including a successful plus-one foul shot.

In the second half, sophomore Bethaney Turner (Mountain View, Ark.) put the Blossoms back on top by nine points with a jump-shot with just over 10 minutes left in regulation.
 
The Lady Bucs were able to trim the UAM lead to two points a minute later, but that’s as close as they would get. Over the next six minutes, the Blossoms held the Lady Bucs to only two points while posting 16 points to gain a 16-point lead at 61-45 with 4:19 left in the game. The lead marked the largest advantage for UAM in the contest.
 
Dubose (Hickory, Miss.) shot 5-of-12 of the field, 2-of-5 from three-point range and 5-of-6 from the foul line to record her 17 points. She also grabbed six rebounds, three assists and three steals.
 
Four other UAM players reached double-digits, including Brown with 12 points, Lowe with 11 points and senior Sharlene Murphy (Coldwater, Miss.) rounded it out with 10 points. Murphy finished with nine rebounds, just one shy of recording a double-double.
 
Christian Brothers was led by Kat Butler with 16 points, followed by Tameka Wooten with 13 points and Sheena DeBose with 11 points.
 
UAM improves its record to 9-3 overall and 1-0 in GSC games, while CBU drops to 7-7 overall and 0-1 in GSC games.
 
The Blossoms continue conference play Thursday, January 15 in Cleveland, Miss. with a 6 p.m. contest against Delta State. Fans can catch the action live on the air in southeast Arkansas on radio station KHBM-FM, 93.7. That broadcast will also be available on UAM’s official athletics website at uamsports.com.