Lady Hawks fall to Cougars, 41-31 Published Nov. 20, 2007 By John E. Banks Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE -- The Tinker Lady Hawks kicked off their season against the Redlands Community College Cougars at the Nov. 14 at Gerrity Fitness Center. Though the Lady Hawks played well, they faltered down the stretch and lost 41-31. The Lady Hawks played the Cougars tough in the first half. They raced out to an early lead and kept the advantage at halftime 20-15. Smith scored nine points and snared a team high nine rebounds in the first half. "We were clicking on all cylinders in the first half," center Kathy Smith said. "We played equally as well on the offensive and defensive ends of floor during the first half." The Lady Hawks raced out to a 28-15 advantage in the second half behind the great inside play of Ranada Sims. She scored the first eight points of the half for the Lady Hawks and was a defensive stopper as well. The Cougars then used their team speed and youthful exuberance, scoring the next 16 of 18 points and taking a 31-28 lead with 5:25 remaining. Both teams traded baskets for the rest of the contest and the Cougars held the Lady Hawks at bay to secure the victory. "We played well in the first half; however, we lost our focus and poise in the second half," said Carlos Hopkins, Lady Hawks head coach. "I know we have the skills and ability to be successful, we just need to focus for the entire 40 minutes." Hopkins said his team's effort was great in the first half with Valetina Jones running the offense, allowing Smith and Sims to do their thing on the offensive end. Cougar head coach Laci Tompkins said she was pleased with her team's effort. "However, with 14 freshmen on the roster you never know how they will respond," she said. The Lady Hawks were led by Sims who scored 14 points and 11 rebounds along with Smith who chipped in with 9 points and 11 rebounds as well. The Cougars were led in scoring by Brandie Sandy who scored a game-high 21 points. The win keeps the Cougars unbeaten at 3-0 on the season, while the loss drops the Lady Hawks to 0-1.