SUN BELT WOMEN

Hot hand delivers UALR rare home loss

UALR’s Alexius Dawn (left) and Louisiana-Lafayette’s Kia Wilridge chase down a loose ball during the Trojans’ 65-58 loss to the Ragin’ Cajuns on Thursday at the Jack Stephens Center. It was the Trojans’ first home loss to a Sun Belt team since losing to Florida International on Jan. 12, 2013.
UALR’s Alexius Dawn (left) and Louisiana-Lafayette’s Kia Wilridge chase down a loose ball during the Trojans’ 65-58 loss to the Ragin’ Cajuns on Thursday at the Jack Stephens Center. It was the Trojans’ first home loss to a Sun Belt team since losing to Florida International on Jan. 12, 2013.

Garry Brodhead's plan was to rest his best player as much as he could Thursday night.

But guard Keke Veal entered the game in the first quarter and seemingly couldn't miss from three-point range. Instead of limiting her playing time because of a groin injury, the Louisiana-Lafayette coach leaned on the senior while handing the UALR women's basketball team its first home loss to a Sun Belt Conference team in two years.

Veal played 30 minutes, made 6 of 10 three-pointers and finished with a career-high 30 points in the Ragin' Cajuns' 65-58 victory over the Trojans at the Jack Stephens Center. It was the Trojans first home loss to a Sun Belt team since losing to Florida International on Jan. 12, 2013.

Brodhead and UALR Coach Joe Foley each pointed to Veal, who didn't score in a Saturday victory over Appalachian State, as the reason for the outcome.

"We told her, 'You'll come off the bench, and we'll see if we need you,' " Brodhead said. "I thought she had something to kind of prove to us, like 'Y'all need me, you need me today, and if I play like I'm supposed to, I can be really good.' "

Louisiana-Lafayette (10-2, 3-0 Sun Belt) built a 20-12 lead with 6:06 left in the second quarter before Alexius Dawn, who came off the bench for the second time in 45 career games, scored seven consecutive points to get UALR (3-9, 1-2) within 20-19. But Veal answered with a three-pointer and later made a steal and layup to give the Ragin' Cajuns a 26-19 lead.

After Dawn made a jumper and Monique Townson converted a three-point play to get within 26-24, Veal hit another three. With 10 seconds left in the first half, she made another to go up 32-27 at halftime.

UALR was within 49-44 at the end of the third quarter when Sharde' Collins fouled Veal shooting a three. She made two of the three free throws, and the Cajuns led 51-44.

"It's very demoralizing," Foley said of the rally-stopping threes. "Whenever you've got a kid that you know you're trying to keep from scoring, and she can jump up and hit a three, and you foul her there at the end of the quarter like we did. You can't make those kinds of mistakes and win a ballgame."

UALR, which has lost four games this season by seven points or less, had its chances in the fourth quarter. Dawn scored six consecutive points, and her three from the corner in front of her team's bench cut the deficit to 53-51 with 6:56 left.

Keanna Keys missed two free throws that would have tied the game on UALR's next possession, but after Veal missed a jumper, Keys made 1 of 2 free throws to pull UALR to 53-52 with 4:54 left. On UALR's last chance to tie the game, Shanity James missed two free throws, leaving it 58-56 with 2:47 left.

UALR made 16 of 26 free throws (61.5 percent) and was 5 of 13 from the line in the fourth quarter.

"We had a chance, and we couldn't make the free throws when we needed to, couldn't make the play and then we foul too much on the other end," said Foley, who didn't make players available for comment after the game. "It's just one of those situations, just a young team making mistakes again."

Foley said he brought Dawn and James, both seniors, off the bench to work on rotations with a roster that includes three freshmen that played Thursday. Dawn, held scoreless in 13 minutes in Saturday's loss at Troy, had a career-high 25 points and James added 14. But, UALR got little offensive help elsewhere. The Trojans shot 43.5 percent, but other than Dawn and James, they shot 33.3 percent.

Keys had 10 points, and Townson added five for the Trojans.

"We've been right there in every game, and it keeps showing up every night: Our youth, our inconsistency to be able to score when we need to," Foley said. "We just don't have that go-to player that you need to to win those kinds of games."

ARKANSAS STATE 66, LOUISIANA-MONROE 43

Senior forward Khadija Brown-Haywood finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and two other Red Wolves scored at least 10 points to lead the Arkansas State women’s basketball team (9-3, 3-0 Sun Belt) to a victory over Louisiana-Monroe (6-5, 0-3) at the Convocation Center in Jonesboro.

ASU is 3-0 in the Sun Belt Conference for the sixth time in school history. The Red Wolves extended their home winning streak to 15 games.

Senior forward Amanda Lawson and senior guard Aundrea Gamble added 14 and 11 points, respectively, for the Red Wolves.

The Red Wolves shot 39.7 percent from the floor while ULM shot 35.3 percent.

ULM was led by Alayshia Hunter with a game-high 16 points. Daja Chase added nine points and a team-high 10 rebounds.

Sports on 01/08/2016

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