MONTICELLO, Ark. – Six players scored in double-figures to lead the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith women’s basketball team to a lopsided 94-57 win against Southern Arkansas on Friday night in the Holiday Inn Express Classic at Steelman Fieldhouse.

            The Lady Lions won for the third time in a row and evened their all-time series with the Lady Riders (1-4), who beat UA Fort Smith in the season opener a year ago.

            UA Fort Smith (7-1) will look to extend its lead in its intrastate series with UA Monticello at 2 p.m. on Saturday in the Classic finale. The Lady Lions lead the all-time series 2-1 after beating the Cotton Blossoms 78-68 on Nov. 13 in the UA Fort Smith Lady Lions Classic.

            The Lady Lions shot a sizzling 50 percent (34 of 68) from the field, including a gaudy 50 percent (8 of 16) from 3-point range. They also shot 82 percent (18 of 22) at the free-throw line.

            Sophomore guard/forward Chelsea Sublett dominated the Lady Riders, scoring a career-high 19 points and grabbing a career-best 15 rebounds for her first double-double of the season. Junior center Coby Hill chipped in 15 points and 11 rebounds for her second double-double of the year. Junior post Whitney Lee just missed her third double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds.

            The trio helped the Lady Lions out-rebound the Lady Riders 56-30.

            Senior guard Ashley Arnold had 13 points – she hit three of the Lady Lions’ eight 3-pointers – and had a team-high five steals. Junior guard Tashley Gaines had 11 points, and freshman guard Megan Phelps had a career-high 11 points, sinking three treys.

            As potent as the Lady Lions’ offense was, their defense was even more stifling.

            Southern Arkansas shot a paltry 28 percent (19 of 69) from the field, but the Lady Riders did shoot 29 percent (11 of 38) from 3-point range. The Lady Lions held forward Cha’Kia Lee, who had been averaging a team-high 21.8 points per game and 11 rebounds per game, to only 10 points and six rebounds.

            Lee was one of just three Lady Riders to score in double-figures – guard Shelbi Cottingham (18) and guard Shanece Black (10).

WOMEN

UA FORT SMITH 94, SOUTHERN ARKANSAS 57

UA Fort Smith            49        45        --          94

Southern Arkansas      28        29        --          57

UA Fort Smith (6-1): Sublett 19, Hill 15, Lee 14, Arnold 13, Gaines 11, Phelps 11, McDonald 7, Morris 4

Southern Arkansas (1-4): Cottingham 18, Lee 10, Black 10, Nealy 9, Shinn 5, Hill 5