Lasker: Trojans were the winners

As far as Tori Lasker remembers, the Trojans always won.

The 19-year-old freshman guard for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock women's basketball team said she came to the capital city every time the Trojans played against Arkansas State University when she was growing up.

Several of her family members and friends had played basketball for UALR, including Taylor Gault, a guard for the women's team from 2011-2015.

If Lasker had instead travelled to Jonesboro, her perspective may have been different.

While ASU holds the all-time series record against UALR 39-20, the Red Wolves have not beaten the Trojans in Little Rock since the 2004-2005 season, a span of 12 consecutive games.

When ASU beat UALR 69-62 on Feb. 10, 2005, Lasker was 6 years old.

She said the streak influenced her decision, when she was choosing between the programs' scholarship offers when she was at Mayflower High.

"I wanted to play for a winning team," Lasker said. "So, I chose [UALR Coach] Joe Foley."

The Trojans (9-8, 6-0 Sun Belt Conference) are a winning team again, and the program has not lost to ASU (9-8, 4-2) since a 66-53 loss in Jonesboro on Jan. 18, 2016.

Foley is 17-11 against ASU since he started the 2003-2004 season with the Trojans, and his teams lost its first four games against the Red Wolves.

Arkansas State Coach Brian Boyer, who has spent his entire 18-year head coaching career in Jonesboro, owns the Sun Belt record with 180 career conference victories.

Now, in his 15th season, Foley is one game away from tying Boyer.

"Brian has been in this league a long time," said Foley, who collected his 750th career victory in a 78-43 victory over Louisiana-Monroe on Dec. 29. "He's got a lot of W's and there's a reason for it. He does a good job. We're fortunate to be closing in. That means our programs ... top two programs in the conference sometimes. That's a tribute to Arkansas and good basketball for our kids."

Boyer said he wasn't aware of Foley nearing his record.

"He's won at every level," Boyer said. "All he's done is win. Always. From our standpoint, he runs his program the right way. Each year they're going to be competitive."

Neither coach thought their matchups do much to sway the interest of recruits that are choosing between them.

"I think it's everything involved," Boyer said. "The development of players within the games... I think it all comes to play. I know a lot of people put a lot of emphasis on in-state games. But it comes down to the performance."

"It's who wins the championships," Foley said. "I think that's what settles [the decision] a lot of the time in recruiting."

As far as Saturday's specific game and breaking the streak, Boyer said, there's "nothing magical about" the Jack Stephens Center, where Red Wolves have never won since it opened for the 2005 season.

"They're really good at home," he said. "But you know, the thing is, with this year's team, it's about his year's game."

The Red Wolves have won three of their last four games, including an 85-80 victory over Texas-Arlington on Saturday.

Lasker said there's "pressure" to keep the home victory streak alive, but she believes it can help sway other recruits' decisions, just like it had hers.

"I mean, I based it kinda off this," she said. "Years and years and years of [UALR] winning. Hopefully it just keeps on going."

Sports on 01/19/2018