Sun Belt belongs to UALR women

UALR’s Monique Townson cuts down the net after the Trojans clinched the Sun Belt Conference title with Saturday’s victory over Appalachian State.
UALR’s Monique Townson cuts down the net after the Trojans clinched the Sun Belt Conference title with Saturday’s victory over Appalachian State.

A regular-season title all but secured, Monique Townson and Keanna Keys stepped off the Jack Stephens Center court for the final time as the crowd applauded one of the winningest tenures in program history.

The duo combined for a career record of 110-48, and on Saturday night they helped clinch the University of Arkansas at Little Rock women's basketball program's second consecutive Sun Belt Conference regular-season championship with a 61-35 victory over Appalachian State.

Minutes later, UALR Coach Joe Foley handed the Sun Belt championship trophy to Townson and the cut-down net to Keys.

UALR (18-9, 15-1 Sun Belt) finished the conference season undefeated at home, where Keys, a graduate forward, and Townson, a senior guard, finished their careers 46-1.

Keys twirled the net like a lasso as she disappeared into the tunnel.

"I'm going to share this amongst my teammates," Keys said as she stood behind the postgame podium with the net draped around her neck.

Keys scored four of her seven points within the opening period, when UALR established a 22-6 lead over Appalachian State (7-21, 5-12).

By game's end, the Trojans outscored the Mountaineers 25-5 in points off turnovers and 8-0 in fast-break points.

It was one of UALR's most dominant victories of the season. The Trojans have two more games before they start the Sun Belt Tournament as the No. 1 seed March 8.

"We definitely need to start playing like this," said Townson, who scored a team-high 10 points with 7 rebounds and 4 assists. "Getting up and down the floor for the tournament. Just being ready, because those three games can take a toll on your body, and we just have to be ready for that."

UALR overpowered Appalachian State within the game's opening five minutes.

Freshman guard Tori Lasker opened with a three-pointer from the left wing; junior forward Yanina Inkina deked a defender toward a layup and then made a short-range jumper on the next possession; Keys streaked through the paint for a putback layup; and Keys pivoted past a defender for a layup, which followed a Lasker floater.

The Trojans led 13-2, and Appalachian State called a timeout with 5:16 left in the first period, but the UALR lead widened.

Lasker made another three from the right wing. Junior forward Ronjanae DeGray subbed in, forced a missed Mountaineers shot, received the rebound and made a jumper from the Appalachian State free-throw line. By the second period, Appalachian State had eight turnovers, including a steal by Townson that she turned into a fast-break layup.

The Trojans led 28-8 with 7:22 left in the half.

Townson made a long-range two-point shot from the left corner with 48 seconds left before halftime, and Keys blocked a shot to preserve a 36-13 halftime lead.

Appalachian State opened the second half 1-of-11 (9.1 percent) shooting. Trojans sophomore guard Kyra Collier turned a steal into a fast-break layup. The Mountaineers missed consecutive close-range shots by forward Bayley Plummer and guard Lapresha Stanley. Then, Stanley turned the ball over twice.

Townson buried a three-pointer from the right wing to make it 47-17 with 59 seconds left in the third period.

Townson and Keys exited the game with a 54-29 lead with 5:33 left in the game. They sat next to each other on the bench, and assistant coach Steve Wiedower leaned over.

"Enjoy this moment," Keys remembered him saying. "Because you'll never forget something like this."

UALR will play at Louisiana-Monroe on Thursday.

Sports on 02/25/2018

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