TUESDAY'S SCORES
@Lipscomb 77,
Morehead State 73
@Central Arkansas 56,
UT Martin 45
@Arkansas 77,
Little Rock 36
LIPSCOMB 77, MOREHEAD STATE 73
NASHVILLE - The Morehead State women's basketball team took a 59-56 lead into the fourth quarter, but could not hang on and fell 77-73 to the Lipscomb Bisons on the road Tuesday.
The Eagles (0-3) had three players score in double figures, led by Veronica Charles, who had 17 points and six rebounds. Melissa Secchiaroli added 12 points and Katie Novik chipped in as well with 11 points and seven assists.
Morehead State grabbed 41 rebounds in Tuesday's game compared to Lipscomb's 35, led by 11 boards from Blessing King. The Eagles also put in work on the offensive glass, turning 15 offensive rebounds into 12 second chance points.
Morehead State did a great job disrupting Lipscomb shots in the contest, coming away with five blocks. Hallie Rhodes' three rejections led the way individually for the Eagles.
Morehead State started out the scoring by going on an 11-0 run, culminating in a three from Valentina Saric, to take an early lead with 5:11 left in the first quarter. The Eagles then lost some of that lead, but still entered the quarter break with a 13-5 advantage. Morehead State relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down three shots to account for nine of its 13 points.
The Eagles maintained their lead in the game's second frame and entered halftime with a 29-28 edge. Morehead State was strong from deep in the period, knocking down four three-point shots to account for 12 of its 16 points.
Following intermission, Morehead State continued to expand its advantage, pushing it to 49-45 before going on a 6-0 run, punctuated by a three from Jayden Rhodes, to expand its lead further to 55-45 with 2:11 to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Bisons had cut into that lead somewhat, but the Eagles still entered the fourth quarter with a 59-56 edge. Morehead State knocked down five three-pointers in the quarter to score 15 of its 30 total points.
Lipscomb proceeded to take a 74-65 lead before Morehead State went on a 6-0 run, finished off by Charles' three, to shrink the deficit to 74-71 with 1:21 to go in the contest. Lipscomb responded and outscored the Eagles the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 77-73. Morehead State fired away from deep in the quarter, knocking down two shots to account for six of its 14 points.
CENTRAL ARKANSAS 56, UT MARTIN 45
CONWAY, Ark.- A tough shooting night proved to be too much for the University of Tennessee at Martin women's basketball team to overcome on Tuesday evening, falling by a final score 56-45 to ASUN foe Central Arkansas on the road.
The Skyhawks (0-3) dropped their third consecutive game of the season after shooting just 29.7 from the field – including a really tough night from beyond the arc where they cashed in on just 4-of-27 three-point attempts. Despite the team's offensive shortcomings, the squad's defense was strong by holding Central Arkansas to just 23 points in the second half while forcing 20 turnovers.
Freshman wing Norah Clark paced the Skyhawks with 12 points off the bench while shooting 5-for-10 from the floor. Arkansas native Kenley McCarn also reached double figures in the scoring column with 10 points while adding five rebounds and three steals. Sophomore Lexi Rubel did her work on the boards where she snagged nine rebounds.
Central Arkansas (2-1) produced a well-rounded offensive night with seven players scoring six or more points while Jade Upshaw led the group with 10 points. Cheyenne Banks was also a solid presence with six points and 14 rebounds.
ARKANSAS 77, LITTLE ROCK 36
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - For a third straight game, a shorthanded Little Rock women's team fell into an early hole and was unable to dig out Tuesday, falling 77-36 to the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena. The Trojans remain winless in five all-time meetings against Arkansas.
The Trojans (0-3) fell behind by double digits in the opening period, trailed by as many as 20 in the first half and 32 in the third period. Little Rock also had a number of starters find themselves in early foul trouble, one fouling out midway into the third period. The Trojans scored the first points of the game – the first time they've led all season – but Arkansas (3-0) responded with a 15-0 run that gave the hosts all the cushion they would need.
Sug Williams scored the opening bucket of the game at the 9:30 mark of the game but the Trojans wouldn't get another field goal until the 7:09 mark of the second period, a scoreless drought lasting more than 12 minutes. By that time, Arkansas led by 17. Little Rock managed just 14 points in the first half but the offense picked up to score 16 points in the third frame. Unfortunately, the Razorbacks countered with a 27-point burst in the same period.
Sophomore transfer Annemarie Batista provided a bright spot for the Trojans, coming off the bench to hit three triples and score a team-high 13 points to go with five rebounds. Jordan Holman scored six points and grabbed six boards and Jaiyah Harris-Smith scored four points, grabbed four rebounds and dished out three assists in her first game of the year. Arkansas was whistled for just seven personal fouls in the contest.