The University of Arkansas at Little Rock women's basketball team arrives at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in Pensacola, Fla., as the No. 3 seed from the West Division, and opens with a favorable first-round matchup against a Coastal Carolina program that is winless in the league.
But Coach Joe Foley's confidence is tempered with his team on a three-game losing streak.
"Our thing right now is we need to have some kids start knocking down jump shots," said Foley, whose team has shot 31.2% during the skid. "It's like Geno [Auriemma] at UConn always says, 'If you can't score, everything gets hard.' Right now it's hard for us."
The Trojans (13-10, 9-7 Sun Belt) will meet the East Division No. 6 seed Chanticleers (3-14, 0-13) at 1:30 p.m. Friday inside the Pensacola Bay Center. The winner will play Texas-Arlington at 11:30 a.m. Saturday.
Arkansas State University also will open play Friday, facing South Alabama at 2 p.m. at Pensacola State College's Hartsell Arena.
The January departures of juniors Bre'Amber Scott and Brianna Crane upped the importance of perimeter shooting for a Trojans team that ranks seventh in the Sun Belt in field goal percentage (39.7%) and hits only 29.9% of its three-point shots.
Opponents recently have employed zone defenses against UALR, forcing the Trojans -- and young shooters such as sophomore Ky'lie Scott and freshman Tia Harvey -- to beat them from the outside. The results have been mixed.
UALR shot 44.1% from the field from Jan. 29-Feb. 21, when the Trojans won seven of eight games.
The sharp shooting has faded recently. The Trojans made only 12 field goals and shot a season-low 24% in Sunday's 60-32 loss to Louisiana-Lafayette, and they have shot below 40% in each of the three recent losses.
"The book on us has been out for a few weeks," Foley said. "The kids are going to have to get their confidence in shooting. They've lost their confidence a little bit."
A meeting with Coastal Carolina -- which ranks last in the Sun Belt in both opposing field goal percentage and three-point defense -- may prove the perfect elixir for UALR's perimeter shooters.
Seniors Teal Battle and Krystan Vornes will be tasked with containing the conference's leading scorer in junior Aja Blount, who is averaging 16.4 points per game.
The 5-11 forward scored 14 points against the Trojans in a 68-48 win at the Jack Stephens Center the last time the teams met Jan. 15, 2020.
"She's a very good player," Foley said. "Even though she's 5-11, she's an excellent player inside. We're going to have to stop their inside game first."
Meanwhile, Arkansas State will head into the tournament short-handed.
Coach Matt Daniel confirmed that senior Morgan Wallace (concussion) will miss ASU's first-round game against South Alabama.
The 5-10 guard was helped off the court after diving for a loose ball 13 minutes into Friday's 60-40 loss to Texas-Arlington, leaving the Red Wolves without their leading rebounder.
"[Morgan] is out," Daniel said. "We just want to make sure that she is protected as much as possible. She does not like that because she's such a competitor."
ASU (9-11, 4-10) enters as the No. 5 seed in the West and will the Jaguars (12-12, 9-9), the No. 4 seed in the East.
The Red Wolves have lost 10 consecutive games and are winless since Jan. 16, but South Alabama has dropped three in a row itself.
A victory would give ASU its first conference tournament win since 2016 and send the Red Wolves to a matchup with Louisiana-Lafayette at 1:30 p.m. Saturday
Missing Wallace leaves the Red Wolves not only without 9.2 points and a team-high 7.3 rebounds per game but also without a veteran ball handler.
She is averaging 3.2 assists per game and has directed the offense since a meniscus injury ended junior Jireh Washington's season in mid-January.
In Wallace's absence, the Red Wolves will lean heavily on junior Jada Stinson and sophomore Maya Love, ASU's only remaining guards playing more than 10 minutes per game.
"Our two biggest playmakers are no longer on the floor," Daniel said. "We have to change the way that we play a little bit. Trying to take care of the ball by committee. We'll pound it inside and see what happens."
The Jaguars feature four double-figure scorers, led by senior forward Antoinette Lewis, who averaged 11.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game this season.
Lewis is followed by redshirt senior Savannah Jones (11.6 points per game), redshirt junior Devyn Lowe (11.1) and junior Mahogany Vaught (10.5). South Alabama also boasts a pesky defense that forces 17.3 turnovers per game.
Vaught's 2.2 steals per game lead the Sun Belt, and she and the Jaguars will pose a challenge to the Red Wolves' guards on the perimeter.
"They play a very in-your-face style of defense," Daniel said. "They're a veteran program, and [Coach] Terry Fowler does a great job with them."
Tournament schedule
All times Central
Pensacola, Fla.
FRIDAY
FIRST ROUND At Pensacola State College
Texas State vs Georgia Southern, 11:30 a.m.
South Alabama vs. Arkansas State, 2 p.m.
At Pensacola Bay Center
Appalachian State vs. Louisiana-Monroe, 11 a.m.
UALR vs. Coastal Carolina, 1:30 p.m.
SATURDAY
QUARTERFINALS At Pensacola Bay Center
Troy vs. Texas St.-Georgia Southern winner, 11 a.m.
Georgia State vs. UALR-Coastal Carolina winner, 2 p.m.
At Pensacola State College
Texas-Arlington vs. Appalachian St.-Louisiana-Monroe winner, 11:30 a.m.
Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Arkansas State-South Alabama winner, 1:30 p.m.
SUNDAY
SEMIFINALS At Pensacola Bay Center
Troy/Texas St.-Georgia Southern winner vs. Texas-Arlington/Appalachian St.-Louisiana-Monroe winner, 11 a.m.
Georgia St./UALR-Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana/South Alabama-Arkansas State winner, 1:30 p.m.
MARCH 15
CHAMPIONSHIP
Semifinal winners, 1 p.m.