To understand the relationship between UALR women's Coach Joe Foley and sophomore guards Terrion Moore and Tori Lasker -- a tandem he's referenced publicly in both positive and negative tones -- requires some background.
"Those sophomore guards ..." Foley has said on numerous occasions, so much so it became a mainstay in his postgame news conferences this season.
Sometimes, a sigh follows his one-liner.
Other times, Foley distributes overwhelming praise toward the sophomores.
The relationship among Lasker, UALR's starting point guard, and Moore, the Trojans' most trusted on-ball defender, and their coach has taken time to solidify this season.
The duo -- two of most critical components of UALR's second consecutive Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship and berth into the NCAA Tournament -- did not play in any of the first seven games for reasons Foley said would "not be fair to them" to announce publicly.
Their punishments only delayed the amount of time it took UALR to truly identify itself as a team.
"We had to kind of learn on the fly," Foley said Wednesday.
The two returned Dec. 8 from suspension. By then, UALR was 2-5 in nonconference play. Then the season began to turn around.
The Trojans were defeated 53-47 by Kansas State the game Lasker and Moore made their season debuts.
UALR then rattled off nonconference victories against Tulsa and Memphis with Moore and Lasker making substantial contributions.
Each played more than 17 minutes in both games, but their roles had yet to find their footing.
UALR needed time to weave Lasker and Moore into games. It wasn't seamless.
"It was hard not playing," Moore recalled Wednesday, "especially seeing my team -- I don't want to say struggle -- but seeing them not getting help in places I could help. It was a little hard."
Lasker (11.1 points) and Moore (8.7) combined to contribute 19.8 points per game throughout UALR's 15-3 run through Sun Belt Conference regular-season play.
Lasker became UALR's best three-point shooter, making 49 of 121 total attempts (40.5 percent). Moore grew into the defender Foley trusted most to defend the most threatening opposing scorer.
"They made us better," Foley said.
In conference play, trust was building between Foley and the sophomores.
Then they ran into another snafu.
Following a 50-48 loss to Texas State on Feb. 16, Foley did not play Moore at all and benched Lasker and two other starters to start UALR's next game Feb. 23 at Arkansas State University.
The choices were disciplinary "coaching decisions," Foley said after the game, before revealing later in February they were intended to send a message.
"You've got to be willing to lose to win," Foley said Feb. 25.
The Trojans closed the season on a four-game winning streak and entered the tournament hot, like Foley had hoped.
Lasker went 15 for 31 from the three-point line in the final four games. Moore continued to solidify herself as UALR's best defender, regardless of not filling a box score with gaudy offensive figures.
"Terrion, she's not going to get much credit because she didn't score a lot," Foley said after UALR's tournament-clinching 57-56 victory against South Alabama on March 16.
Lasker and Moore add versatility on both ends of the floor UALR will need at 2:30 p.m. Saturday when it meets No. 5 seed Gonzaga in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis, Ore.
Foley announced Moore as UALR's most valuable player during the Sun Belt Tournament. She held South Alabama's leading scorer Savannah Jones to six points in the tournament's championship game.
"If she doesn't do that, then we don't win," Foley said. "To me, Terrion is our most valuable player."
NCAA Women’s Tournament
UALR VS. GONZAGA
WHEN 2:30 p.m. Central today
WHERE Gill Coliseum, Corvallis, Ore.
RECORDS UALR 21-10; Gonzaga 28-4
TV ESPN2
At a glance
NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament
All times Central
GREENSBORO REGIONAL
TODAY'S GAMES
At Charlotte, N.C.
South Carolina (21-9) vs. Belmont (26-6), 12:45 p.m.
Florida State (23-8) vs. Bucknell (28-5), 30 minutes after first game
At Iowa City
Iowa (26-6) vs. Mercer (25-7), 1 p.m.
Missouri (23-10) vs. Drake (27-6), 30 minutes after first game
SATURDAY'S GAMES
At Waco, Texas
California (19-12) vs. North Carolina (18-14), 2:30 p.m.
Baylor (31-1) vs. Abilene Christian (23-9), 30 minutes after first game
At Raleigh, N.C.
Kentucky (24-7) vs. Princeton (22-9), 10 a.m.
NC State (26-5) vs. Maine (25-7), 30 minutes after first game
PORTLAND REGIONAL
TODAY'S GAMES
At Starkville, Miss.
South Dakota (28-5) vs. Clemson (19-12), 6 p.m.
Mississippi State (30-2) vs. Southern U. (20-12), 30 minutes after first game
At Coral Gables, Fla.
Arizona State (20-10) vs. Cent. Florida (26-6), 6 p.m.
Miami (24-8) vs. Florida Gulf Coast (28-4), 30 minutes after first game
At Eugene, Ore.
Texas (23-9) vs. Indiana (20-12), 6 p.m.
Oregon (29-4) vs. Portland State (25-7), 30 minutes after first game
SATURDAY'S GAMES
At Syracuse, N.Y.
South Dakota State (26-6) vs. Quinnipiac (26-6), 10 a.m.
Syracuse (24-8) vs. Fordham (24-8), 30 minutes after first game
CHICAGO REGIONAL
TODAY'S GAMES
College Station, Texas
Marquette (26-7) vs. Rice (28-3), 1 p.m.
Texas A&M (24-7) vs. Wright State (27-6), 30 minutes after first game
SATURDAY'S GAMES
At Notre Dame, Ind.
Notre Dame (30-3) vs. Bethune-Cookman (21-10), 10 a.m.
Cent. Michigan (25-7) vs. Michigan State (20-11), 30 minutes after first game
At Ames, Iowa
DePaul (26-7) vs. Missouri State (22-9), 2:30 p.m.
Iowa State (25-8) vs. New Mexico State (25-6), 30 minutes after first game
At Stanford, Calif.
BYU (25-6) vs. Auburn (22-9), 2:30 p.m.
Stanford (28-4) vs. UC Davis (24-6), 30 minutes after first game
ALBANY REGIONAL
TODAY'S GAMES
At Louisville, Ky.
Louisville (29-3) vs. Robert Morris (22-10), 11 a.m.
Michigan (21-11) vs. Kansas State (21-11), 30 minutes after first game
At Storrs, Conn.
Rutgers (22-9) vs. Buffalo (23-9), 3:30 p.m.
Connecticut (31-2) vs. Towson (20-12), 30 minutes after first game
SATURDAY'S GAMES
At Corvallis, Ore.
Gonzaga (28-4) vs. UALR (21-10), 2:30 p.m.
Oregon State (24-7) vs. Boise State (28-4), 30 minutes after first game
At College Park, Md.
Maryland (28-4) vs. Radford (26-6), 10 a.m.
UCLA (20-12) vs. Tennessee (19-12), 30 minutes after first game
Sports on 03/22/2019