TEXAS-EL PASO 64, ARKANSAS 61
Devin Cosper scored 11 of her career-high 22 points in the fourth quarter but it wasn't enough as the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville women fell to Texas-El Paso 64-61 on Friday at the UTEP Classic in El Paso, Texas.
The Razorbacks (3-2) trailed by as many as 20 points and entered the fourth quarter trailing 52-36. With Cosper's help, Arkansas trimmed the lead to 62-61 with 38 seconds left.
The Miners (3-0) hit a contested jumper as the shot clock expired on the ensuing possession with eight seconds left. A three-pointer rimmed out for the Razorbacks as time expired.
Arkansas scored just three points -- all on free throws -- in the first quarter and went 0 for 15 from the floor. Malica Monk scored 5 of her 10 points to get the Razorbacks going in the second quarter, but the Miners used 9-of-15 shooting from the floor to take a 38-20 halftime lead.
Cosper had her fifth consecutive game of scoring 10 or more points, and it was her third consecutive game with 20 or more points. Monk scored 10 or more in her fifth consecutive game.
Tamara Seda scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Miners. Najala Howell added 15 points for UTEP and Katarina Zec chipped in 10.
Arkansas forced a season-high 23 UTEP turnovers, turning them into 22 points, while committing just 4 turnovers.
SUN BELT WOMEN
RICE 58, UALR 51
Rice (5-0) used three separate 9-0 runs to overcome a 16-point University of Arkansas at Little Rock (1-3) lead and came away with a victory over the Trojans in Houston.
UALR built a 33-17 lead in the second quarter, but Rice's first 9-0 run trimmed the lead to 33-26 at halftime. The Owls went on their second 9-0 run with seven minutes to play in the third quarter, cutting the Trojans' lead to 40-39. UALR built a three-point lead with 45 seconds remaining, but Rice hit a shot at the buzzer to end the third quarter tied at 44-44.
The Owls used their third 9-0 run to outscore the Trojans 14-7 in the fourth quarter, holding UALR scoreless for the first 5 1/2 minutes. UALR also committed 24 fouls in the game -- its most since committing 25 against Oklahoma in 2015.
Tori Lasker scored 13 points on 5-of-17 shooting from the floor to lead the Trojans, who face Oklahoma on Tuesday. Erica Ogwumike had a game-high 29 points for the Owls.
SUN BELT MEN
SOUTH FLORIDA 72, ARKANSAS STATE 61
Cold second-half shooting from the floor doomed Arkansas State University as South Florida (4-2) used a 7-0 run in the second half to pull away for a victory in Tampa, Fla.
The Red Wolves (2-4) built a 24-20 lead with 6:36 left in the first half, but the Bulls went on a 9-0 run for a 29-24 lead and led 33-30 at halftime.
South Florida scored the first four points of the second half, but ASU used an 8-2 run to cut the lead to 39-38. The Red Wolves tied the game at 43-43 with 12:33 remaining, but the Bulls used a 7-0 run to take a 50-43 lead. ASU had a six-minute scoring drought in the second half and committed five turnovers in that span. Ty Cockfield ended the drought with a three-pointer to cut South Florida's lead to 62-49. The Bulls outscored the Red Wolves 24-8 in the lane in the second half and held a 23-19 rebounding advantage in the half.
"They are a big team and we don't have that kind of size," ASU Caoch Mike Balado said. "We shot 24 [three-pointers] and that's what happens when you play long teams contrary to driving in and making them foul us. That's what got us in a hole in the second half.
"When you play a team with length, you have to be tougher. It has nothing to do with being smaller, we've got to be tougher. Credit to them as they out-toughed us for loose balls in the second half and [got] on a run there."
Deven Simms led Arkansas State with 15 points. Tristin Walley had 11 points and Cockfield finished with 10. Malik Martin scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead South Florida.
SWAC MEN
PACIFIC 78, UAPB 69
Guard Martaveous McKnight scored a team-high 18 points as the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff had four players score 10 or more points Friday night, but it wasn’t enough as the Golden Lions fell to Pacific in their second game at the Men Against Breast Cancer Showcase in Stockton, Calif.
Charles Jackson scored 13 points for UAPB (0-7), which shot 37 percent from the floor, including 9-of-36 shooting from the three-point line, and shot 67 percent from the free throw line. Travon Harper chimed in with 12 points for the Golden Lions and Cameron Posey added 10.
Miles Reynolds scored a game-high 20 points off the bench to lead Pacific, which also had four players score 10 or more points. Jack Williams had 15 points, Anthony Townes added 12 and Roberto Gallinat finished with 11.
UAPB wraps up the Men Against Breast Cancer Showcase today with a game against Canisius at 10:30 p.m. Central.
Sports on 11/25/2017