Trojans can’t climb out of big hole
KANSAS STATE 53, UALR 47
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock women’s basketball team could not overcome a tough start, dropping its sixth consecutive game 53-47 to Kansas State on Saturday at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock.
The Trojans (2-6) were outscored 18-7 in the first quarter and trailed by as many as 18 in the second quarter. UALR cut Kansas State’s lead to 46-45 when junior point guard Sydney Chastain buried a three-pointer with 1:46 remaining.
The Wildcats (7-2) did not score a field goal in the final 7:45, with their final eight points coming from the freethrow line.
“After we got off to a drastic start, I thought we settled down and finally played a little basketball,” UALR Coach Joe Foley said. “Our kids did a good job competing. Defensively, we played much better after that first quarter.”
The toughest stretch of the Trojans’ nonconference schedule is now complete after losing to Rice on Nov. 17, then-No. 20 Texas A&M on Nov. 20, at LSU on Nov. 25, then-No. 6 Mississippi State on Nov. 28, Western Kentucky on Wednesday and Kansas State.
UALR will travel to Tulsa, Memphis and Missouri State before Sun Belt Conference play begins Jan. 3 against Louisiana-Monroe, but the Trojans’ glaring, game-to-game height disadvantages are wrapping up.
“Playing against the 6-4s and 6-5s is over,” Foley said. “Now we’re getting back to our speed now. And we’ll have our hands full, but it’s not like you’ve just got to change everything to try to keep a 6-4, 6-5 kid from scoring.
“It gets more back to our level now.”
UALR sophomore guards Terrion Moore and Tori Lasker made their season debuts Saturday. Moore and Lasker, who each started more than half of UALR’s 33 games last season, were sidelined for the first seven games after violating team rules.
The duo has rust to wash off.
Neither scored against the Wildcats. They combined for six rebounds and seven turnovers as two of the Trojans’ top three ball handlers behind Chastain. Moore went 0 for 3 from the field and Lasker missed all five of her attempts.
“They made a couple of turnovers and game speed changed a little bit,” Foley said. “A couple of little turnovers they shouldn’t have had. Tori missed some easy shots I think she should’ve hit. So it’s just a matter of getting back into in-game flow.”
Kansas State took a 16-2 lead from the tip as the Trojans missed 10 of 13 shots in the opening quarter.
UALR and Kansas State each scored 13 points in the second quarter, giving the Wildcats a 31-20 lead at halftime. The Trojans surged in the third quarter and outscored Kansas State 16-11.
Junior guard Kyra Collier, who played all 40 minutes, led all Trojans with 15 points and six rebounds. Chastain added 12 points and six rebounds.