Foley ties Boyer for Sun Belt wins

The Trojans’ mastery of their in-state rivalry is as stable as the rafters at the Jack Stephens Center, where the University of Arkansas at Little Rock women’s basketball team has never lost to Arkansas State University.

UALR (10-8, 7-0 Sun Belt Conference) extended its home victory streak against ASU (9-9, 4-3) to 13 games with a 53-43 victory over the Red Wolves on Saturday afternoon in Little Rock.

UALR Coach Joe Foley now has tied ASU Coach Brian Boyer for the Sun Belt record with 180 conference victories.

“It may change back and forth a hundred times from now until the end of our careers, so who knows?” said Foley, who is 18-11 against ASU in his 15th season. “Whichever one gets out first, the other one’s going to end up with the most wins. Someone’s going to break it sooner or later, so I don’t get too caught up in that stuff.”

The game developed slowly as the teams were a combined 1-of-13 shooting to start the game. ASU senior forward Lauren Bradshaw’s midrange jump shot provided the only points in the first five minutes of play.

The focus for each team was in the paint, and Bradshaw and UALR senior Keanna Keys jockeyed for position back and forth for the first several minutes. First, Bradshaw blocked Keys’ layup.

Then, Keys drew a charge on Bradshaw, who followed up by swatting Keys’ layup attempt on the other end.

Once Keys missed two more shots, she let out a frustrated yell with her Trojans down 2-0 and 6:30 left in the first quarter.

UALR junior forwards Yanina Inkina and Ronjanae DeGray entered the game, and Inkina tied it with a midrange jump shot with 5:11 left in the quarter.

“I feel like we came out with a lot of jitters,” said DeGray, who scored a gamehigh 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds. “Then we just settled down, playing our game.”

Bradshaw then matched up with DeGray, who scored the Trojans’ final six points of the period to lead 8-7, including a putback jumper after Bradshaw blocked her initial shot.

Bradshaw missed the rim on a shot clock violation to close the period, forcing the attempt over two defenders. She walked down the court and yelled “Move the ball.”

The Red Wolves had trouble doing so, and the offensive struggles continued into halftime with 10 total turnovers.

ASU junior guard Akasha Westbrook, unable to drive inside, forced a lateral pass, which was tipped and picked up by UALR senior guard Monique Townson. Her coast-to-coast layup put the Trojans ahead 12-9 with 7:48 left in the second period.

ASU tied the game at 12-12, but UALR answered with a 10-2 run, capped by a 3-pointer from freshman guard Terrion Moore for a 22-14 lead with 2: 21 left in the half.

The Red Wolves scored just before the halftime buzzer when UALR junior forward Raeyana DeGray tossed a rebound back into play and into Westbrook’s hands for a layup and 27-19 halftime deficit.

The Trojans widened their lead in a third quarter in which they outscored

ASU 18-7 and held the Red Wolves to 2-of-13 (15.4 percent) shooting.

UALR freshman guard Tori Lasker recorded two 3-pointers and a steal during the period, setting the Trojans up 45-26 going into the fourth period.

“We harped all week: When you play [UALR], it’s exhausting on both ends of the court,” Boyer said. “We weren’t ready to come out of halftime.”

Westbrook led ASU with 15 points. Keys scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds for UALR.

UALR will next play at Appalachian State on Thursday. ASU will play at Coastal Carolina on the same day.