UALR was overwhelmed Wednesday night by Florida in the Gators' first game in their renovated arena.
Devin Robinson scored 21 points, KeVaughn Allen (North Little Rock) added 19 and Florida routed UALR 94-71 at the Exatech Arena in Gainesville, Fla.
The Gators (9-3) hit 21 of their first 28 shots, including 8 of 13 from three-point range, and built a 56-27 lead by halftime. Florida shot 68.8 percent (22 of 32) in the first half and 59.6 percent (34 of 57) for the game. The Gators made 16 three-pointers.
Robinson was 7-of-11 shooting, including 4 of 5 from behind the arc. Allen made 7 of 10 shots, including 5 of 7 from three-point range.
Canyon Barry chipped in 15 points for Florida. Kevarrius Hayes had 12 points, and Kasey Hill finished with 11 points and 11 assists.
Lis Shoshi led the Trojans (9-4) with a career-high 19 points. Andre Jones scored 14 points while Oliver Black added 11 points.
UALR never led Wednesday. The Trojans shot 29 of 58 (50.0 percent) from the floor and committed 13 turnovers.
The Gators spent $64.5 million to upgrade the decades-old O'Connell Center after last season, remodeling the entire inside bowl with plush seating and updated amenities. Florida played its first 11 games away from Gainesville while renovations were ongoing.
ALABAMA 67,
ARKANSAS STATE 52
Arkansas State's two-game winning streak ended Wednesday night in a loss to Alabama in Huntsville, Ala.
The Red Wolves (9-3) struggled from the floor, shooting 33.9 percent (20 of 59).
Jimmie Taylor led the Crimson Tide (6-5) with 12 points. Braxton Key had 11 points and 7 rebounds while Dazon Ingram added 10 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.
Alabama led 31-26 at halftime. ASU pulled within 44-39 on Devin Carter's three-point play, but Alabama used a 13-2 run to extend its lead to 57-41 with 4:47 remaining.
Deven Simms had a game-high 15 points for ASU. Carter finished with 14 points. Tamas Bruce had seven rebounds.
SUN BELT WOMEN
LSU 69, UALR 49
LSU (10-2) shot 60.4 percent from the floor and put away UALR (6-6) in the fourth quarter at the Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge.
The Tigers finished 29-of-48 shooting. They led 28-23 at halftime but extended their lead to 46-35 by the end of the third quarter. LSU outscored UALR 23-14 in the fourth quarter.
Raigyne Moncrief scored 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Tigers. Chloe Jackson had 14 points.
Kyra Collier led the Trojans with 12 points and six rebounds. Kaitlyn Pratt had 11 points. Ronjanae DeGray finished with a team-high nine rebounds.
UALR shot 33.3 percent (17 of 51) from the floor and 3 of 17 from three-point range.
SWAC WOMEN
ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 53, MORGAN STATE 44
Arkansas-Pine Bluff (3-7) won its first game against a NCAA Division I opponent this season, defeating Morgan State (2-8) in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Destiny Brewton led the Lady Lions with 12 points and five assists. Niya Head had 11 points. Faith Ohanta added eight points.
UAPB shot 40 percent (18 of 45) from the floor and 15 of 18 from the free-throw line. The Lady Lions also outrebounded the Lady Bears 40-33.
Morgan State led 34-33 after three quarters, but UAPB used a 20-10 fourth quarter to earn the victory.
Three Morgan State players scored 10 points -- Braennan Farrar, Zuri White and Tykyrah Williams.
Sports on 12/22/2016