Joe Foley was fairly confident his UALR women’s basketball team could contain the Sun Belt Conference’s top scoring team.
The way UALR’s offense played at times Saturday was an added bonus.
UALR made seven of its first 11 shots from the floor and shot 50 percent in the second half while holding Troy to a season-low points total in a 69-52 victory at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock. It was UALR’s third consecutive victory.
For Foley, slowing a team that was averaging 81.9 points per game while taking an average of more than 75 shots was no more complicated than controlling the pace. UALR did that during an eight-minute stretch to start the game as it jumped out to a 16-4 lead. After taking a 23-13 lead with 3:01 left in the first half, its lead dipped below 10 points only once the rest of the game.
“If they give us a layup, we’ll take it,” Foley said. “If not, let’s give them three or four passes and make them stay on defense to take them out of their rhythm. … I’ve had teams before where they didn’t realize how important it was to control the tempo, and I think this bunch did a good job of that.”
Troy’s leading scorer, Joanna Harden, finished with 26 points - two points more than her league-leading average - but that was half of her team’s points as Troy made just 18 of 57 from the floor.
The first eight minutes allowed UALR (8-6, 3-1) to take Troy (4-11, 0-4) out of its game more than anything.
UALR jumped out to a 16-4 lead after Taylor Gault made consecutive baskets, the second coming on a slashing move through Troy’s zone defense with 11:57 left in the first half. UALR extended the lead to 18-5 on Ashley Beverly-Kelley’s basket in transition that left Troy just 2 of 14 from the floor.
“The first eight minutes, we played our game,” freshman guard Sharde’ Collins said. “That’s all there was to it.”
Collins has started the past three games because Foley believes her ability to score from the point guard spot helps Taylor Ford and Gault get going as well.
Collins finished with 10 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists Saturday, but it was Gault who sparked UALR’s early run, just like she did in Thursday’s victory over South Alabama.
The junior scored eight points in the first eight minutes and finished with 23 points on 7-of-14 shooting with 7 rebounds. Most importantly for Foley were Gault’s three assists. One came during the opening run in which she saved a ball from going out of bounds and passed to Shanity James, who scored easily to put UALR ahead 12-4.
James also finished with 10 points for UALR, while Ford had 14 points.
ARKANSAS STATE 73, SOUTH ALABAMA 60
Junior forward Jasmine Hunt scored a career-high 17 points and redshirt junior Hanna Qedan had a game-high 18 as Arkansas State defeated South Alabama 73-60 on Saturday at the Convocation Center in Jonesboro.
The Red Wolves (10-6) ran their Sun Belt record to 4-0 for the first time since the 2006-2007 season.
ASU trailed 34-29 at halftime but outscored the Jaguars 24-6 to start the second half to take a 59-48 lead with 11:47 to go.
South Alabama (4-10, 2-2) struggled from the field in the second half afterhitting 47.8 percent in the opening 20 minutes, going 8:31 without a field goal. The Jaguars shot just 29.2 percent from the field in the second half and made just two three-pointers after hitting four in the first half.
Hunt scored 17 points, while Qedan added 18.
SOUTHLAND WOMEN ORAL ROBERTS 70, CENTRAL ARKANSAS 60
Central Arkansas saw its three-game winning streak come to an end as the Sugar Bears lost to Oral Roberts in Tulsa.
The Sugar Bears (8-6, 2-1) fought back from a deficit as large as 12 points in the second half to cut ORU’s lead to as few as three points with three minutes left, but the Golden Eagles (3-10, 2-1) outscored the Sugar Bears 9-2 down the stretch to close out the game.
The Sugar Bears limited ORU to 26.7 percent shooting (8 of 30) in the second half, and only 20 percent (1 of 5) from behind the three-point line, but the Golden Eagles made 11 of 15 second-half free throws.
UCA’s Courtney Duever had 16 points, while Maggie Proffitt had 13 and Terai Sadler 12. ORU was led by Alexus Wilson’s 13 points and seven rebounds. Dorottya Balla also had 13.
SWAC WOMEN ALABAMA A&M 87, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 63
Alyssa Strickland scored 20 points as Alabama A&M (3-10, 1-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference) handed Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-11, 0-2) its 11th consecutive loss Saturday in Normal, Ala.
The Lady Lions trailed 50-29 at halftime. They shot 45.8 percent (22 of 48) from the field and were led by Christina Lasane’s game-high 21 points. Cassidy Wright added 20 points for UAPB.
Brittney Strickland finished with 16 points for Alabama A&M. Jasmine Sanders and Taylor Sippial had 13 points each as the Lady Bulldogs made 29 of 49 (59.2 percent) from the field.
Sports, Pages 24 on 01/12/2014