Pratt, Townson Set Scoring Highs in Win at Coastal
CONWAY, S.C. – Kaitlyn Pratt tied a career high with 24 points, Monique Townson set a new career high with 16 and the Little Rock women's basketball team held on for a 74-66 victory over Coastal Carolina at the HTC Center on Thursday night.
Pratt scored 14 points in the third quarter to help Little Rock (9-6, 3-0 Sun Belt Conference) retake the lead for good after Coastal Carolina (5-8, 0-3) controlled the second quarter and took a 35-33 lead into halftime. The Trojans outscored the Chanticleers 22-14 in the third quarter and edged them 19-17 in the fourth quarter to earn the 8-point win.
The contest was the first-ever meeting between the two teams and the first-ever home Sun Belt Conference game for the Chanticleers.
Besides Pratt's 24 points, the senior nearly grabbed a double-double with nine rebounds. Townson added four assists and two steals to her career scoring night and was 6 of 6 from the free-throw line, and Kyra Collier also came up just short of a double-double with 9 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Sharde' Collins scored 13 points and was clutch in the fourth quarter with two 3-pointers that gave Little Rock breathing room.
Little Rock scored on its first three possessions to take a 7-0 lead early, and two Townson 3-pointers helped the Trojans hold a 20-12 edge at the end of the first quarter.
But in the second, Coastal's offense caught fire. The Chanticleers shot 62.5 percent from the field in the quarter including a streak of seven straight made field goals to outscore the Trojans 23-13 in the period. That was enough to give the home team a 35-33 edge at halftime.
That's when Pratt awoke. The senior scored Little Rock's first 8 points of the third quarter, helping them overtake Coastal briefly. Pratt then sat with foul trouble as CCU regained a lead, but Pratt came back into the game and scored 6 more points to help Little Rock hold a 55-49 edge through 30 minutes.
In the fourth, though, the Chants made one last push. They went on a 7-0 run early in the quarter that included five free throws and a layup. That made it 57-56 Little Rock with six minutes to play. But over the final six minutes, the Trojans outscored the Chants 17-10. Little Rock finished the game hitting its last four field goals including a Collins 3-pointer and a Ronjanae DeGray jumper from the free-throw line that made it 72-64 with 35 seconds left.
Carolee Dillard played her highest minute total of the season with 20 as Ronjanae DeGray was in foul trouble throughout, and Dillard added 6 points on 3-of-4 shooting along with six rebounds. Collins and Collier had four assists each, and Dillard and Pratt each got a block. Of Pratt's nine rebounds, eight were on the offensive end.
The Trojans stay on the road for their next game, traveling to Boone, N.C., for a Saturday game at Appalachian State. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. central.
Troy Rolls Past Georgia State
ATLANTA, Georgia – For the first time since the 1996-97 season, the Troy women's basketball team is 9-4 overall and 2-0 in conference play for the first time since 2001-02 as the Trojans took an 87-69 victory from Georgia State at GSU Sports Arena on Thursday.
The Trojans forced 30 turnovers including 15 steals with six coming from senior Caitlyn Ramirez, who also scored 20 points to go along with nine rebounds. Troy led for 31 minutes of the 40 and got double-digit scoring from Jayla Chills (19) and Amanda Mendoza (10). Chills knocked down 4-of-8 3-pointers while the team was 33-of-76 (43.4 percent) for the game.
Jada Lewis scored 20 points in the first three quarters for Georgia State (5-8, 1-1 SBC) before Mendoza was handed the task of keying on her for the final 10 minutes. Lewis finished the game with 21 points to lead the Panthers.
Once again, Troy got big contributions from the bench as the reserves scored 51 points. 10 of the 13 Trojans that played in the game scored.
The Trojans built a late 20-point lead for the second consecutive game as they went on a 23-4 run against South Alabama on Saturday to take a 20-point lead. Troy led by 11 in the second quarter but a 6-0 Georgia State run to end the half cut into the advantage, 37-32.
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"We got big contributions off the bench," Troy head coach Chanda Rigby said. "I feel like our strength is our depth. Also, Amanda Mendoza did a great job of guarding Jada Lewis after she has scored a bunch of points. That was a big boost in the game."
UP NEXT
Troy travels to face Georgia Southern on Saturday for a 1 p.m. (CT) tip. The Trojans have won eight straight in the series including the last three in Statesboro, Ga.
Mountaineers Roll Past Red Wolves, 76-50
BOONE, N.C. -- Led by five double-digit scorers and a season-high 54 points in the paint, Appalachian State University women's basketball rocketed to their largest conference victory in two years, downing Arkansas State 76-50 on Thursday night at the Holmes Center.
The Mountaineers (7-7, 2-1 Sun Belt) used 45.7 percent shooting and staunch defense to hand the Red Wolves (3-12, 1-2 Sun Belt) their largest defeat since 2012-13 when they lost to Middle Tennessee, 93-49.
The 26-point victory also snaps a four-game slide at home in conference play and a four-game losing streak against the Red Wolves.
Appalachian was led by Bria Carter, who finished with a career-high 20 points to go along with five rebounds, two steals and one block. Right behind her was Joi Jones, who tallied 13 points, five rebounds and two steals as well as one takeaway on the night.
Bayley Plummer finished the game with her first career double-double, having 10 points and pulling down a game-high 11 rebounds. Her career-high 11 boards matched the team total for Arkansas State for the game.
Plummer becomes the first freshman since Maryah Sydnor to tally a double-double. Sydnor's came against Chattanooga on March 4, 2012 (30 points, 10 rebounds).
Q. Murray continued her strong season with 12 points, three rebounds and two steals, while Brooklyn Allen finished with career-high 10 points and five rebounds to go along with four assists.
The Mountaineers refused to give up after the first shot all evening, setting a season-high for second-chance points. App State out-rebounded the Red Wolves 51-35 to get 29 second-effort points. Their 51 rebounds ties a season-high as well.
Also on the defensive side, the Black and Gold forced 26 miscues, which led to a season-high 29 points-off-turnovers. The 26 turnovers is the most that Arkansas State has given up all season.
Leading the rim protection was Ashley Bassett-Smith, who finished with a season-high five rejections while also snagging six rebounds on the night. Madi Story paced the team with five assists along with five points and three off the glass.
The game did stay close for the first quarter with Arkansas State taking a 22-21 lead with five ties and nine lead changes. App State and Arkansas State wouldn’t gain any separation from each other until the 4:58 mark of the second quarter when Appalachian used a 9-2 run to go into the half with a 40-33 lead. App State held A-State to a 4:58 scoring drought during the run while four different Mountaineers scored.
Seven different student-athletes scored during the first half with Carter scoring 13 and Jones turning in nine points. App State held a 16-6 advantage in second-chance points.
It was all App coming out of the locker room dominating the visitors on both ends of the floor. Appalachian outscored A-State,19-6, the fewest points A-State has scored in any quarter this season. The Mountaineers held A-State scoreless for an impressive 5:36 during a 15-0 run that catapulted App to a 59-34 lead. A-State wouldn’t score its first field goal until there were 39 seconds left in the third quarter before Appalachian went into the final frame with a 59-39 lead.
Arkansas State went 1-for-10 from the floor and nine miscues during the third frame. Appalachian shot 61.5 percent from the floor, scored 14 of 19 points in the box and 11 points off Arkansas State’s mistakes.
App State cruised in the final quarter, stretching the lead to as much as 28 (76-48) with 14 seconds left in the game before the clock hit zeroes and winning the second of its first three Sun Belt games for the second time in three seasons since joining the league.
Since the first quarter, App State outscored A-State, 55-28, held the defending regular-season Sun Belt Champions to 9-for-41 (21.9 percent) shooting from the floor and forced 22 turnovers. In addition, the Apps held the top team in 3-point field goal percentage coming into the game hitting 36.6 percent to just 21.4 percent from beyond the arc.
The defense held A-State’s top two leading scorers in check, as the tandem of Jada Ford and Dominique Oliver shot just 3-of-14 combined from the field, 13 points, and eight turnovers.
The Mountaineers will look to extend their current win streak to three games on Saturday when they take on Little Rock at the Holmes Center. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m.
JAGS BEAT THE EAGLES 55-46 IN SUN BELT ROAD-OPENER
STATESBORO, Ga. – The University of South Alabama's women's basketball team (6-7, 1-1) won its Sun Belt Conference road-opener 55-46 against Georgia Southern (4-9, 0-2) on Thursday night at Hanner Fieldhouse. Trailing by one point with 3:12 left in the game, the Jaguars went on a 9-1 run to secure the victory.
"I was really pleased with our effort," said head coach Terry Fowler. "One thing I wanted to see from the team was win the rebounding battle. We did so by 18 boards and also got 19 offensive rebounds. I thought that was a big plus for us since we got a lot of extra possessions, and we dominated on the other end of the floor as well with rebounding."
In a back and forth game the Jags entered the fourth quarter leading 38-34, and Erin Autio and Colby Davis stretched the lead to eight points on two jumpers in the first two possessions of the quarter. The Eagles responded with a 9-0 run that was over five minutes long to reclaim the lead.
Autio hit a jump shot to start the late Jags' run and give them the lead for good. Autio then made a layup on the next possession off an offensive rebound. Georgia Southern's Angel McGowan split a pair of free throws, and Chyna Ellis made a layup after gathering up her own missed shot with 1:24 remaining. Camryn London converted a three-point play on a pass by Genesis Perrymond on a two-on-one fast break with 47 seconds left. The Jags would only allow one more Eagles' basket, and Autio and London both hit a pair of free throws to ice the game.
"Down the stretch we really rebounded the ball well to get second chance opportunities down the stretch," said Fowler. "We forced Georgia Southern into some tough, contested shots and then finished the game strong by hitting all of our foul shots late."
Entering the second half leading 29-28 Candice Williams hit a jumper on the second possession of the third quarter. Georgia Southern got back the lead with a quick 6-2 run. The Jags ended the quarter on a 7-2 run, allowing just one Eagles' basket in the last 6:26 of the quarter. London started the run with a layup, and Ellis got the lead back for the Jags on a jumper. Ellis then made one of two free throw attempts in the next possession, and London hit a jumper on the Jags' final possession of the quarter.
Colby Davis scored on a jumper in the first possession of the game and then made a layup. Autio hit a three-pointer in the next trip down on the offensive end to give the Jags a 7-2 run to start the game. The Eagles then went on a 9-2 run to get their first lead of the game.
The two teams traded baskets in the second quarter as the lead changed seven times. London made a layup for the Jags' first basket of the quarter. Perrymond hit two three-pointers, and London also made a three. Ellis made a layup with one second remaining in the half to give South Alabama the lead going into halftime.
London had her first ever double-digit scoring game with a game-high 17 points on 6-14 shooting that included two three-pointers. Ellis recorded her second double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds and also had a team-high three blocks. Autio also had 11 points and needed just more rebound for her own double-double.
"Since Georgia Southern plays a 2-3 zone the coaching staff knew Camryn London was going to have opportunities to score," said Fowler. "When we recruited her, she already had the ability to knock down shots and just play with a lot of freedom. Tonight she just played loose and free with confidence to give the team a much-needed boost."
Davis had a team-high three steals in addition to eight points, three rebounds and an assist. Perrymond had a game-high three assists and had six points, five rebounds and two steals.
The Jaguars took advantage of the Eagles' zone defense and grabbed 19 offensive rebounds. South Alabama had nine more second chance points (16-7) and won the rebounding battle (51-33).
South Alabama finished 33.3% (21-63) from the field and 18.5% (5-27) from deep with all five three's coming in the first half. The Jags shot a season-high 88.9% (8-9) from the charity stripe and made all five attempts in the last two minutes of action.
South Alabama heads to Atlanta to face Georgia State on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. CT.