Arkansas Tech is 11-0 in women’s basketball for the first time in 30 years after defeating the Midwestern State Mustangs 82-62 at Tucker Coliseum in Russellville on Wednesday night.
The nationally 24th-ranked Golden Suns used a 14-0 run early in the first half to take control for good as they cruised to the 799th win in the 33-year history of the program.
Tech will try to join Delta State (Miss.) and Bentley (Mass.) as the only NCAA Division II women’s basketball programs with 800 or more wins when the Golden Suns visit Northwest Missouri State in Maryville, Mo., at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
Russellville radio station KWKK 100.9 FM will have the broadcast, which will be streamed over the Internet at www.athletics.atu.edu.
The Suns scored 14 straight points to open a 20-7 lead over Midwestern State with 10:58 left until halftime.
It was the beginning of a larger 38-10 Arkansas Tech surge over a span of 13:15. That put the Suns in front 44-17 with 2:54 to go before intermission.
Tech went on to hold leads of 50-24 at halftime and 69-33 with 11:47 left in the game.
Midwestern State (4-7) scored 15 straight points to cut the Suns’ advantage to 69-48 with 7:08 to go, but that was as close as the Mustangs could get.
Arkansas Tech’s Jenny Vining scored 20 of her game-high 24 points in the first half. Natalia Santos (photographed) scored 14 points, while Katie Horsman added 11 points and Jessica Weatherford notched 10 points.
Anna Baran contributed eight points and five rebounds, while Ashley Chisum recorded seven assists and made seven steals to lead all players in those two categories.
Nolisha Markham scored 22 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead Midwestern State. Aqueelah Watkins had 15 points and 13 rebounds for the Mustangs.
Arkansas Tech is 11-0 for the first time since 1979-80, and this marks just the third start of 11-0 or better in Golden Suns’ history.
Tech’s women started 13-0 in 1978-79 and 14-0 in 1979-80.
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