The UALR women’s basketball team’s defensive start Saturday was better than even it realized.
Senior forward Shanity James looked up at the scoreboard about six minutes in, surprised by just how well things were going at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock.
“I looked up and it said nine or 10-0, and I was like, ‘Wow,’ ” James said.
It got even better for the Trojans, who held Georgia State scoreless on its first 12 possessions while scoring the game’s initial 13 points in a 59-32 victory.
UALR (8-11, 6-4 Sun Belt Conference) held Georgia State (8-11, 3-7) — which was without its top two scorers because of suspensions — to 26.1 percent shooting and forced 18 turnovers in extending its winning streak to a season-long three games.
UALR Coach Joe Foley said he thought his team needed every one of its defensive stops, considering the struggles the Trojans had on offense. UALR shot 40.4 percent from the field but committed 16 turnovers in a performance Foley called “lackluster.” He also said it was a “step back” from previous victories at Texas-Arlington last Saturday and Thursday against Georgia Southern.
“If it hadn’t been for defense, it would have been a struggle,” Foley said. “Offensively, way too many turnovers and way too many missed shots.”
The Trojans got 17 points and 9 rebounds from James, 12 points from Sharde’ Collins and 10 points and 12 rebounds from Kaitlyn Pratt, but they were 9 of 26 from the floor (34.6 percent) in the first half .
The 32 points were the fewest UALR has allowed in a game this season.
Georgia State didn’t score until after it missed its first six shots and committed six turnovers, a streak ended by Taleah Williams’ basket with 1:38 left in the first quarter to make the score 13-2. UALR led 13-4 at the end of the first quarter and 27-9 at halftime while holding Georgia State to 3-for-18 shooting in the first two quarters.
The absence of Makeba Ponder and Astaja Tyghter, who combine to average 22.8 points per game, made a difference, but Foley said it didn’t affect how his team played.
“You play what you’re playing against,” Foley said. “These kids are probably just not in the flow of playing with each other yet, but that didn’t have anything to do with it. We were trying to go in with the idea to, especially at home, take people out of their sets.”
Collins, a junior guard, tried to provide UALR with an early spark. She had 10 points by halftime and made 5 of her first 7 shots to finish with 12 points, her highest total since a victory over Louisiana-Monroe on Jan. 9. Collins, who entered Saturday averaging 8.8 points overall but only 7.3 in conference games, made a first-quarter three-pointer, a jumper from the free-throw line and a late three to end the half.
“She’s got to be more aggressive,” Foley said. “She’s got to decide if she’s going to take a shot. It’s not up to the coaching staff. She’s got the green light. She’s got to take advantage of that. She’s got to work.”
ARKANSAS STATE 77,
GEORGIA SOUTHERN 54
JONESBORO — Aundrea Gamble scored a game-high 20 points and Khadija Brown-Haywood had 17 points and 10 rebounds to lead Arkansas State (16-3, 10-0 Sun Belt Conference) to its school-record 20th consecutive home victory, over Georgia Southern (6-13, 3-7) on Saturday at the Convocation Center.
Gamble, a senior, collected her 44th career 20-point game, and Brown-Haywood recorded her eighth double-double this season. Senior guard Jessica Flanery added 10 points for Arkansas State.
Arkansas State made five turnovers and forced 17 by Georgia Southern, which the Red Wolves turned into 24 points.
“We only had five turnovers, which is a school record, so obviously we will take that,” Arkansas State Coach Brian Boyer said. “You shouldn’t turn it over a lot with a team that zones it like this, but you still can get careless and make mistakes so I thought we were really disciplined there and so that part was good.”
Arkansas State took a 16-13 lead at the end of the first quarter, then opened the second with an 18-2 run. The Red Wolves closed the period with a three-pointer by Brown-Haywood with eight seconds left to take a 39-20 lead into the break.
The Eagles couldn’t get closer than 17 points the rest of the way, while Arkansas State’s lead reached 27 points two different times in the fourth quarter.
Arkansas State shot 45.6 percent (31 of
68) from the field, while Georgia Southern was 22 of 58 (37.9). The Eagles outrebounded the Red Wolves 39-36. ASU had 11 players score and got 20 points from it bench.
Georgia Southern was led by Angel Mc-Gowan with 16 points and Sierra Butler had 10 rebounds.
SWAC WOMEN
ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 83,
GRAMBLING STATE 68
Ajia Richardson scored 17 points and three teammates had 15 each to lead Arkansas-Pine Bluff to a victory over Grambling State on Saturday at H.O. Clemons Arena in Pine Bluff.
Destiny Brewton, Niya Head and Attirah Munir scored 15 points each to help the Golden Lions (5-14, 2-6 Southwestern Athletic Conference) give Coach Nate Kilbert his 150th career victory. UAPB outscored the Tigers (8-11, 5-3) in every quarter but the fourth, leading 46-27 at the half. The Golden Lions shot 34 of 61 (55.7 percent) from the floor with two three-pointers and made 13 of 18 free throws, while holding the Tigers to 37.3 percent shooting (28 of 75) and outrebounding Grambling 46-34.
Eight of UAPB’s nine players had at least 2 rebounds, with 7 players grabbing at least 5 each, led by Brewton with 7.
Shakyla Hill lead Grambling with 23 points and nine rebounds, while Jazmine Boyd had 12 points. Bre’nae Andrews had nine points and nine rebounds.
Sports on 01/31/2016