Trojans Clinch Share of SBC Title With Win Over Eagles
LITTLE ROCK – With only two home games left in their career, seniors Sharde' Collins and Kaitlyn Pratt are making the most of their final minutes on the Jack Stephens Center floor.
On Thursday night, they made the most of their minutes late and helped make the Trojans into Sun Belt champions.
Little Rock trailed midway through the third quarter of their game with Georgia Southern, but Pratt and Collins combined for 22 points in the final 15 minutes and Little Rock went on a 15-0 run in the fourth quarter on its way to a 57-41 victory over the Eagles.
Little Rock (20-7, 14-1 Sun Belt Conference clinched at least a share of the league championship with the win over Georgia Southern (12-15, 8-8), as second-place Troy was defeated at UT Arlington later on Thursday night.
The Trojans can clinched an outright conference championship for the second time in school history and the No. 1 seed in the league tournament on Saturday against Georgia State at 4 p.m.
Collins finished the Thursday with 24 points, and Pratt had 17 of her own to go along with a team-high nine rebounds. Ronjanae DeGray also finished in double figures with 12 points off the bench. Kyra Collier did not score but tied for the team lead with nine rebounds and also added a team-best six assists.
The win on Thursday was also Little Rock's 20th of the year, making this season Little Rock's 10th 20-win season in the last 11 years.
In the third quarter, Georgia Southern took its first lead of the game from the free-throw line while their field-goal shooting went cold. Collins helped Little Rock get that lead back, scoring 8 points in the final five minutes of the third quarter to take the game from a 1-point Eagles lead to a 5-point Trojan lead entering the fourth.
The Eagles got the Little Rock lead down to just 2 points early in the fourth, but two free throws from DeGray following by a steal-and-score from the sophomore got the Trojans back ahead 46-40 with 7:25 to play and forced an Eagles timeout. After the timeout, though, Little Rock extended its lead with a Collins 3-pointer and a Pratt layup, making it a 9-0 run and a 51-40 lead – their largest of the game – and making the Eagles take another timeout.
Little Rock would eventually expand that run to 15-0, putting any comeback by Georgia Southern out of the question. Georgia Southern did not score for a five-minute span before hitting a free-throw late in the game. The Eagles had 6 points in the first 90 seconds of the fourth quarter and then just 1 point in the final 8:30.
Monique Townson had five assists and a block on the night, and DeGray and Kira Shepard tied for the team high with two steals. Besides Pratt, Collins and DeGray, no other Trojan scored more than two points.
Little Rock struggled on offense in the first half, making just 37 percent of its shots from the field. But the Trojans were aided by 11 first-half turnovers by the Eagles that resulted in 10 Trojan points. Collins had 8 points at halftime to lead Little Rock.
The Trojans will wrap up their home schedule and hope to wrap up the Sun Belt outright regular-season championship on Saturday when they face Georgia State at 4 p.m. Senior Night festivities will be held immediately following the game, and the men's game against Georgia State will follow that.
Leavitt’s Three Lead Bobcats Past South Alabama
SAN MARCOS, Texas – Toshua Leavitt connected on five 3-pointers on her way to scoring a game-high 17 points in leading Texas State to a 55-39 win over South Alabama Thursday evening in Sun Belt Conference women's basketball action.
Leavitt, who has made five or more threes in three consecutive games, is now tied for fourth with Diamond Ford (2012-13) on the Texas State single-season 3-point field goal made list with 63.
Texas State (15-11, 10-5 Sun Belt) finished the contest shooting 38.6 percent (22 of 57) from the floor, outscored South Alabama 22-18 in the paint and converted 15 points off 18 Jaguar turnovers.
No South Alabama (9-17, 4-11 Sun Belt) player reached double-figures as Candice Williams finished as the Jaguars' top scorer with nine. The Bobcats' top-ranked league defense limited South Alabama to 14 of 51 shooting (27.5 percent), including 3 of 18 from beyond the arc.
Texas State led 14-11 after the first quarter. Both teams shot 5 of 13 in the stanza and endured three-plus minute scoring droughts.
Leavitt made a pair of 3-pointers and connected on a floater to score eight of the Bobcats' 12 second-quarter points, pushing the home team to a 26-18 halftime advantage. The Bobcats limited South Alabama to 14.3 percent from the floor in the quarter as the Jaguars only points came by way of 3-pointers from Erin Autio and Genesis Perrymond along with a single India Hall free throw.
South Alabama scored the first four points of the second half to trim the Bobcats' lead to 26-22; however, Leavitt answered with her fourth trey of the game and Ti'Aira Pitts followed with a score inside to slow the Jaguar momentum. Texas State later stretched its lead to 12 at 39-27 after Taeler Deer scored on a 15-foot jumper and Leavitt followed a possession later with her fifth triple of the night. USA's LaNeetra Guillory closed the quarters' scoring with a layup in the final minute to send the game into the fourth with the Bobcats leading 39-29.
Erin Peoples and Deer scored two quick baskets in the opening 1:09 of the fourth quarter to stake TXST its then-largest lead of the game at 43-29. The Bobcats extended its lead to 15 at 46-29 on a Pitts layup before South Alabama scored its first point of the quarter. The Bobcats then scored four of the game's next six points and South Alabama would got no closer than 14 the rest of the way as Texas State scored its ninth home win of the season.
Coastal Carolina's Gibson Reaches 1,000 in Win Over ULM
CONWAY - Senior point guard Ced Gibson became the 14th student-athlete in Coastal Carolina women's basketball history to reach 1,000 career points Thursday night as the Chanticleers topped visiting ULM, 75-48, at the HTC Center. Gibson, who transferred to Coastal after her freshman season at St. John's, reached the milestone while playing just three seasons in a Chanticleer uniform.
Coastal improves to 11-15, 6-10 with the win and retains its hold on eighth place in the Sun Belt standings. ULM, meanwhile, falls to 5-21, 2-13 to remain at the bottom of the league standings.
Gibson's 1,000th point came on a long jumper at the 7:22 mark of the fourth quarter. The senior opened the game with eight points in the first quarter on a pair of 3-pointers and a jumper seconds before the buzzer. She was held off the board until the fourth quarter, when she hit back-to-back jumpers to reach the milestone. Gibson closed the game with 14 points and five assists, her fourth straight game scoring in double figures and dishing out at least five helpers. She is now 11 assists away from tying Nikki Reddick for sixth all-time among Coastal's assists leaders.
Alexis Robinson finished as the game's leading scorer with 16 points, and added 12 rebounds for her second straight double-double, and fourth of the season. Kennedy Archer and Naheria Hamilton each contributed 11 points to round out Coastal's double-digit scorers, and Rachael Gregory finished just shy of her second consecutive double-double after recording nine points and 11 rebounds.
Coastal matched its season high in assists with 20, set on Dec. 2 against Pfeiffer. Archer had six assists to complement Gibson's five, and Robinson and Gregory each added three.
Coastal's defense held ULM to shooting 33.3 percent from the field, including a 2-of-16 mark from beyond the arc. The Chants also tallied 12 steals and a trio of blocks.
Coastal got a quick start out of the gate, making its first eight shots from the field -- including a pair of 3-pointers -- and its lone free throw attempt to take an early 19-8 lead. The Chants' advantage continued to build from there, as Coastal outscored ULM 13-5 over the final 4:45 of the quarter, and closed the frame shooting just under 78 percent from the floor.
The scoring dried up for both sides to start the second quarter, as five minutes into the frame only three points had been scored on a ULM free throw and Naheria Hamilton layup. The Chanticleer offense got back on track toward the end of the quarter, however, scoring the final eight points before halftime to take a 45-19 lead into the locker room. Coastal's defense held ULM to shooting 2-of-9 from the floor in the second quarter, and forced 10 Warhawk turnovers.
Coastal's 45 first-half points and ULM's 19 first-half points were both season highs and lows, respectively, for the Chants.
The Chants' field goal shooting dropped to 37 percent in the second half, and they only outscored ULM by one point over the final 20 minutes, but the Warhawks managed to bring the deficit under 20 only once in the half. Alexis Collins had 10 points for ULM in the first half, but managed just two in the second as the Chants kept her in check. Gabriella Cortez picked up the slack, scoring nine points over the third and fourth quarters to finish the game with 11.
Coastal returns to the HTC Center Saturday afternoon to play its final home game of the season against Louisiana. The Chants and Ragin' Cajuns tip at 1 p.m., and following the game Coastal will honor the members of its senior class.
UTA Outlasts Troy To Avenge Early-Season Loss
ARLINGTON, Texas- A 22-point game by Cierra Johnson combined with two others in double figures helped UTA avenge an earlier loss to Troy as the Lady Mavericks won 78-72 in Sun Belt play on Thursday at College Park Center.
Johnson was just a rebound short of her second double-double of the season as the junior guard was 9-of-11 from the field, picked up nine rebounds, dished four assists and picked up three steals. The win pushed UTA into a tie for second in the conference with just three games remaining, improving to 18-7 overall and 11-4 in SBC play. The 11 wins tie for the most in league play since UTA joined in 2013-14.
UTA, falling to Troy on Jan. 14 in its first league loss 85-68, led for more than 33 minutes of the contest and as much as 11 points in a game it controlled throughout. The Lady Mavericks turned the Trojans (18-8, 11-4 SBC) over 22 times to meet the average for the season. UTA entered the night the fifth-best team in the nation in turnovers forced per game at more than 22.
Joining Johnson in double-digit scoring was Crystal Allen with 16 points. Allen hit four treys in the contest. Christina Devers added 11. Freshman point guard Ericka Mattingly dished out nine assists, tying her personal best as well as 11th in single-game UTA history.
A big story throughout the game was UTA's ability to handled the boards. Troy entered the second-best team in the nation in rebounds per game and the Lady Mavs were able to hold a 43-41 advantage, turning in a 17-13 advantage in second-chance points.
KEY RUNS
First Half
After UTA was able to keep up with the high-paced offense of Troy in the opening frame, the Lady Mavericks caught fire offensively. UTA knocked down six 3-pointers in the first half. UTA opened a lead in the second quarter and outscored Troy 21-12 in the period.
Second Half
UTA was able to answer the Trojan attack as Troy nipped the lead down to just four points early in the fourth quarter. As things started to open up between the teams, Allen stepped up to knock down a key 3-pointer down from the corner that pushed the lead back out to seven points. UTA would be able to maintain the Troy press and knocked down free throws down the stretch to keep it on top.
KEY STATS
The Lady Mavericks shot 50.0 in the second half compared to Troy's 38.9. UTA was 14-28 to Troy's 14-36. UTA used a different starting lineup for the first time in six games as Allen came off the bench and Aysia Evans got the start. UTA ended a three-game losing streak to Troy with the win, however, Troy leads 6-3 in the all-time series.
UPCOMING GAME
The Lady Mavericks take the court for the final time at College Park Center this season on Senior Day against South Alabama this Saturday. UTA is honoring the careers of four-year player Allyson Te'o, and transfer guard Breck Clark before the game.
Hopkins Late Bank Shot Lifts A-State to Win
JONESBORO, Ark. (2/23/17) – Freshman forward Tahlon Hopkins banked in a runner down the right side of the lane with 1.7 seconds remaining to lift the Arkansas State women’s basketball team to a 59-57 Sun Belt Conference victory over Georgia State Thursday night at the Convocation Center.
The Red Wolves snapped a four-game skid to improve their overall record to 6-21, and they now stand 4-11 in league action. Georgia State, which had won six of its last eight games heading into the contest, saw its record move to 11-16 overall and 7-9 in SBC action.
Arkansas State was led by three players scoring in double figures, including Hopkins with a team-high 16 points. Freshman guard Jada Ford, who missed the previous 10 games with an injury, added 13 points in her return to the lineup, and senior guard Brittany Fowler finished with 10.
The Panthers were led by three players scoring in double figures as well as Jada Lewis posted a game-high 18 points, Kierra Henry scored 14 and Haley Gerrin chipped in 10.
Although Georgia State finished with a higher shooting percentage, .426 to .362, and collected 36 rebounds to A-State’s 32, the Red Wolves were a perfect 12-of-12 at the stripe and connected on four more three pointers (5-1).
How It Happened (First Half):
The first period featured one tie and three lead changes as Georgia State was able to grab a 13-12 advantage. With the score tied 15-15 almost two minutes into the second period, the Panthers went on a 7-2 run to go up by five with 3:57 left before halftime.
Georgia State went up by as much as six, 27-21, with 1:01 remaining before going into the locker room ahead 27-23. Hopkins scored eight of her 16 points in the first half to lead A-State, which also went 6-of-6 at the line in the second period.
How It Happened (Second Half):
The Red Wolves scored the third quarter’s first four points to tie the game 27-27, but the Panthers responded with a 14-4 run to take a 41-31 lead that was their largest of the game. A Hopkins layup at the 3:35 mark started a 9-2 run by A-State as it closed the third period down just 43-40.
The Red Wolves were able to tie the game three more times in the fourth period before finally taking their first lead since the opening quarter. With score even at 55-all, A-State’s Lauren Bradshaw collected a defensive rebound and the Panthers were called for a foul as A-State moved the ball up the court.
Following the personal foul, a technical foul was assessed to the Georgia State bench and Fowler made a pair of free throws to give the Red Wolves a 57-55 lead with 58 seconds left to play. A-State maintained possession, but Fowler was unable to connect on a three that gave the ball back to the Panthers.
Henry was fouled on the next possession and made both free throws to give the game its eighth tie, 57-57, with 32 seconds to go. With the game and shot clocks almost exactly the same, A-State ran the clock down to try and get the final shot of the game.
However, with the shot clock winding down, A-State head coach Brian Boyer called a timeout to set up Hopkins heroics. The inbounds pass went directly to Hopkins, who made a quick move to her right and fired up the game-winning shot.
Georgia State called a timeout to set up an inbounds play on its side of the court, still leaving the game in question. Hopkins was called for a foul while trying to work through a screen, giving the Panthers’ Gerrin two free throws and adding to the dramatic finish.
Her first free throw bounced off the rim, forcing her to miss the second on purpose and A-State’s Bradshaw hauled in the rebound to secure the win.
Cajuns Extend Win Streak To Five With Win Over App State
Boone, N.C. – Jaylyn Gordon and Troi Swain scored 17 points each and the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns survived a furious second half rally to defeat Appalachian State 68-58 on Thursday at the George M. Holmes Convocation Center.
Louisiana (16-8, 10-5 SBC), which has now won five straight games, only trailed when the score was 2-0, but saw their 12-point lead dwindle to one in the fourth quarter.
Appalachian State (10-17, 5-11 SBC) trimmed the lead to 49-48 when Madi Story made a three-pointer with 5:39 left in the game.
The Cajuns then went on an 11-2 run to take a 60-50 lead after Gordon knocked down two free throws with 3:30 remaining in the contest.
The Mountaineers cut the lead to 61-58 when Joi Jones made two free throws with 1:36 to go in the game.
Louisiana put the game away with a layup from Gordon and by going five-for-six from the free throw line in the final minute.
The Cajuns got off to a fast offensive start and led 15-8 when Nekia Jones connected on a three-pointer with 35 seconds left in the first quarter.
Swain knocked down a three-pointer to put Louisiana in front 27-15 with 5:42 to go in the second period.
Appalachian State closed the half on a 5-0 run and Bria Carter's jumper with 12 seconds left trimmed the Cajuns' lead to 27-20 at halftime.
Louisiana's lead grew to 33-21 when Jasmine Thomas made a trey with 8:38 left in the third quarter.
The Mountaineers then went on a 14-2 run to cut the lead to 36-35 when Story hit a three-pointer with 4:04 to go in the third period.
The Cajuns led 42-39 at the end of the third frame and extended the lead in the fourth quarter to 48-43 when Jones made a layup with 6:40 left in the game. Louisiana never relinquished the lead on the way to securing the win.
Story led Appalachian State with 20 points and eight rebounds while Joi Jones added 17 points for the Mountaineers.
Louisiana will return to action when it faces Coastal Carolina on Saturday at 12 p.m. in Conway, S.C.