28 Feb 2024 UALR opens homestand tonight against Tennessee State
Tournament seeding is on the line when the Little Rock women’s basketball team opens a two-game homestand to wrap up the regular season, hosting Tennessee State tonight at the Jack Stephens Center. Tip-off for the game is slated for 5 p.m. and the contest can be streamed on ESPN+ and head on Sports Animal 920 AM.
THE MATCHUP
The Trojans (10-17 overall, 9-7 OVC) are 3-1 all-time against the visiting Tigers (9-17, 6-10), but Tennessee State took the last meeting – an 83-78 overtime game in Nashville, Tenn. on Dec. 30, 2023. In that game, Jayla Brooks made 6-of-10 shots from behind the arc to lead the team with 25 points, while Sug Williams posted an 11-point, 16 rebound double-double. Leilani Wimbish-Gay (16) and Faith Lee (13) also reached double figures in scoring. Little Rock is 2-0 all-time at home against the Tigers.
LAST TIME OUT
Little Rock committed 20 turnovers and missed 14 free throws on Saturday, falling to Lindenwood by a 61-54 score in St. Charles, Mo. Lindenwood got to the line 34 times – 30 in the second half – with 18 in the fourth quarter alone. Jordan Holman led the Trojans for the second straight game, pumping in 17 points off the bench to go with seven rebounds. Williams also added nine points off the bench.
A LOOK AT THE TIGERS
Tennessee State enters Thursday’s contest still searching for its first road win of the season, as the Tigers are winless (0-11) as the true road team this season. However, they have won two of their last three contests, including an 84-71 win over Western Illinois on Feb. 17. The Tigers rank third in the OVC in scoring (70.3) but 10th in defense (72.5). They rank in the middle of the conference in all shooting categories, including free throws (seventh), field goals (sixth) and 3-pointers (sixth). They lead the conference in turnover margin (+4.63), the only team ahead of Little Rock in that category. Sanaa’ St. Andre is the third leading scorer in the OVC at 18.7 points per game and Lyric Cole ranks seventh in rebounding (7.3). Saniah Parker is fourth in steals (2.67) while St. Andre is seventh (1.93).
OVC OUTLOOK
Little Rock is currently tied with Morehead State for fifth but loses the tiebreaker due to the head-to-head meeting. The Trojans could still finish as high as second by winning out along with some help. Southern Indiana (15-1) has wrapped up the regular season title and corresponding top seed in next week’s OVC Championships, and Eastern Illinois is second at 11-6. Tennessee Tech and UT Martin are tied for third at 10-6. Western Illinois comes in at seventh with a 7-9 record while Tennessee State is in eighth. SEMO and Lindenwood are just a game behind TSU at 5-11. SIUE is 2-15 and has been eliminated postseason contention.
