UALR women's basketball team wraps up share of Sun Belt

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock women's basketball team clinched the No. 1 seed in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament with a 53-44 victory over Coastal Carolina on Thursday afternoon at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock.

The victory also secured UALR (17-9, 14-1 Sun Belt) at least a share of its second consecutive Sun Belt regular-season championship and fifth in program history.

The Sun Belt Tournament will start March 6 in New Orleans, and the Trojans will earn a first-round bye as the top seed for the third time in the last four seasons. They last won the tournament championship in 2015.

"That's a blessing," UALR Coach Joe Foley said. "The less games we play, the better off we are. It's a tribute to a team that's very young. ... If you had told us we'd be 14-1, I'd have said 'No way.' "

Sophomore guard Kyra Collier (North Little Rock) -- who averaged 7.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.9 steals per game last season -- played for the first time since spraining her ankle in an 86-48 loss at then-No. 3 Mississippi State on Dec. 10. She recorded two steals and a rebound in what Foley called a "spotty" performance.

"Pretty fun today," said Collier, who played eight minutes. "I started practicing a couple weeks ago, and I'm just getting back into the groove of things. Coach Foley's just easing me back in, getting me ready for tournament time."

Collier helped spur a stagnant Trojans offense against Coastal Carolina (14-13, 8-8), when she and senior guard Monique Townson both had steals that led to fouled layup attempts and an 8-2 lead with 4:12 left in the first period.

Coastal Carolina earned a 12-10 lead after the first quarter by outscoring the Trojans 12-2 in the lane. UALR also shot 2 of 12 (16.7 percent) during the period, including a stretch in which it missed 10 consecutive shots and turned the ball over with three travel violations.

Chanticleer guards Jas Adams and DJ Williams both scored a game-high 16 points.

Foley, whose lineups usually have two forwards, used three forwards during the second quarter to combat the Chanticleers' advantage in the post. Trojans forwards Ronjanae DeGray and Keanna Keys both stole entry passes after they prevented Coastal Carolina forwards from entering the paint.

"We knew that we had to pick up the intensity," said DeGray, who finished with 14 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals. "Moving our feet. Not letting the bigs get position on us to where they can turn around and easily score the basket."

DeGray drew a charge on Chanticleers freshman forward Alise Davis, which led to a three-pointer from Trojans freshman guard Tori Lasker that completed a 7-0 run that gave UALR a 19-15 lead with 4:43 left in the first half.

The Trojans were 7-of-11 shooting (63.6) during the second quarter, and Townson made a three-pointer just before the buzzer to give UALR a 26-19 halftime lead.

The lead widened to as much as 17 points during the third period, when the Trojans scored eight points in the paint. Freshman guard Terrion Moore rolled a low bounce pass to DeGray, who banked in a shot with a right-handed post move.

It was part of a 7-0 run that gave UALR a 35-21 lead with 6:36 left in the third quarter and provoked Coastal Carolina to switch from a man defense to a 2-3 zone.

The Chanticleers climbed back within 41-31 by the end of the quarter, while the Trojans missed five of its last seven shots.

UALR maintained its distance during the fourth, and Keys powered past Chanticleers center Naheria Hamilton for a layup and a foul that set the Trojans ahead 51-40 with 1:23 left in the game.

Keys finished with a team-high 15 points and four rebounds.

UALR will next host Appalachian State on Saturday at 5 p.m.

Sports on 02/23/2018

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