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NEW ORLEANS -- The University of Arkansas at Little Rock women's basketball team is one victory away from a Sun Belt Conference championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The Trojans advanced to the Sun Belt championship game in a 66-63 victory Saturday night in the semifinals over Troy, the only team to defeat UALR during the conference season.
UALR (22-9) led by as much as 11 points in the fourth quarter, and Troy (17-14) had one final shot after UALR junior forward Raeyana DeGray missed two free throws with 6.4 seconds left in the game.
Troy's Kayla Robinson's three-point attempt fell short.
UALR junior forward Ronjanae DeGray scored a game-high 22 points, and the Trojans are returning to the Sun Belt championship game for the first time since 2016.
DeGray was a freshman then, when UALR lost 61-60 to Troy.
"I'm looking forward to playing in the game," DeGray said. "Helping my team out and just getting the dub for Little Rock, for the program."
DeGray gashed Troy with jump shots from the corners, exploiting the weakness of Troy's 1-3-1 zone defense, which Troy Coach Chanda Rigby said she installed specifically for the game.
"I looked down there and saw [UALR Coach] Joe [Foley], and of course he recognized it right from the beginning," said Rigby, who said she had noticed that UALR had not played against a 1-3-1 all season. "It slowed them up some. But Ronjanae just started finding the corner shot, and that's the weakness. She found it quick. That's good basketball."
DeGray made a three-pointer from the left corner to give UALR its largest lead yet, 53-45, just before the end of the third quarter. The UALR bench stood, provoking DeGray to holler the length of the court.
She opened the fourth quarter with a baseline basket to extend the lead to 55-45 and continue a 9-0 UALR run.
"I felt really great," said DeGray, who said she had added the three-point shot to expand her game from the low post. "I felt confident to shoot that three, and thankfully I made it, because if I didn't, I'm sure I would've been on the bench."
"Nah," Foley disagreed while laughing, sitting next to her during the postgame news conference. "No, no."
Troy entered the game with the nation's ninth-ranked scoring offense (82.5), and UALR had the nation's sixth-ranked defense (52.3 points allowed per game).
Troy jumped to a 14-8 lead with 2:39 left in the first quarter, after UALR freshman guard Terrion Moore left the game when she injured her right ankle while being fouled on a layup attempt.
Troy attacked the paint with two post shots from 6-3 senior center Dajia Williams, and then a pair of steals led to two more baskets.
Moore jogged back from the locker room during a media timeout and rejoined the game afterward.
Hobbling on every step, Moore grabbed a rebound and delivered a pass to senior guard Monique Townson, who made a free throw after being fouled. Moore then intercepted a Troy pass and made a fastbreak layup while wincing. She recorded another defensive rebound on the next possession and made a mid-range jumper to give UALR a 17-16 lead with 43.4 seconds left in the first period.
Foley subbed in Tori Lasker for Moore, who gimped back to the bench only to return in the second quarter when she reached past a defender to tip the ball, stole it, and delivered an assist to DeGray as the Trojans went ahead 27-20.
Moore finished the game with 4 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists.
"I think we got a warrior in that kid," said Foley, who said he didn't think the injury was going to keep Moore out of today's championship game. "It's gonna get sore, no doubt, tonight. But, you get that adrenaline pumping, and I think she'll be able to go. I love kids like that right there."
Both teams shot a combined 9 of 28 (32.1 percent) during the second period.
UALR had an 0 for 8 streak, and Troy freshman guard Jasmine Robinson made a three-pointer from the left corner to pull her team within 27-25 with 4:16 left in the first half.
The DeGray twins combined for 10 of the team's 13 points during the second quarter as UALR led 32-27 at halftime.
The teams traded three-pointers at the start of the second half, and Townson made a three at the top of the key for a 42-38 lead with 5:06 left in the third quarter.
Townson finished with 11 points, 5 assists and 5 rebounds.
Troy began to press UALR full court, which forced errant passes from Townson and Moore, three Troy offensive rebounds, and a 5-0 Troy run to trim the deficit to 47-45 with 1:45 left in the third.
UALR went 7 of 14 from the free throw line during the fourth quarter, which gave Troy a final attempt at the end.
"The play broke down," said Rigby, who said Kayla Robinson was who she intended to take the final shot. "She didn't get the first look. She was supposed to do a handoff and get it to Amber Rivers coming off the double screen."
Lasker fronted Robinson, disrupted the play and forced the missed shot.
UALR will play Texas State in the championship game at 6 p.m. today. The Bobcats defeated Louisiana-Lafayette 62-56 in the other semifinal Saturday.
It is the ninth conference tournament championship game appearance for UALR, which last won it in 2015.
Sports on 03/11/2018