WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
@Tulane 66,
Little Rock 57
@SIUE 106, Harris-Stowe 38
TULANE 66, LITTLE ROCK 57
NEW ORLEANS - The Little Rock women's basketball team came up just short Wednesday in the opening day of the Tulane Holiday Tournament, but Jaiyah Harris-Smith etched her name in the program record book with her performance during the Trojans' 66-57 loss to Tulane at Fogelson Arena.
Harris-Smith finished the game with 15 assists, good for the second-highest single game total in program history and a career best performance for the junior guard from Miami, Fla. She surpassed her previous high of 10 in the third quarter of Wednesday's game.
Fellow guard Jayla Brooks scored a team-high 20 points to set a new personal career best, surpassing her previous high of 18, hitting five three-pointers during the game. Leilani-Wimbish Gay scored a career-high 15 points, grabbed seven rebounds and swiped three steals, and Faith Lee added 13 points for the Trojans (0-10).
Little Rock will finish out the two-day tournament as well as its non-conference schedule Thursday morning with an 11 am contest against Duquesne (6-5), who fell to Maine in Wednesday's opening day, 80-72. Thursday's contest will not be televised but can be heard locally on Sports Animal 920 AM with Trey Schaap on the call.
Little Rock and Tulane played a very closely contested game with the two teams relatively square across all statistical categories. The Green Wave (6-3) did take advantage of a 22-8 advantage in free throw opportunities, making a dozen more than the Trojans. Little Rock shots 47.1 percent (24-of-51) from the floor to 48.9 percent (22-of-45) for Tulane.
The game featured five ties and five lead changes with Little Rock leading throughout most of the first period before it ended with the score tied at 14-14. Tulane led 31-27 at the break and 50-43 heading into the fourth frame. Tulane led by as many as 10 points in the second half.
Marta Gelic led the Green Wave with 24 points, making 5-of-6 shots from long range. Kyren Whittington added 15.
SIUE 106, HARRIS-STOWE 38
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE women's basketball scored over 100 points for the first time in nearly 15 years with a 106-38 victory over Harris-Stowe on Wednesday night at First Community Arena. Six student-athletes recorded points in double-figures, the first occurrence of this feat since the 2008-09 season.
SIUE concludes its nonconference season at 3-10. Harris Stowe falls to 2-4.
The Cougars entered the locker room up 46 points at 61-15, the first time SIUE has scored 60 or more in a half since the second half vs. Missouri Baptist on Jan. 3, 2008. At the break, SIUE had three players in double-figures.
After halftime, SIUE took its largest lead of the night at 74 points midway through the fourth quarter. The Cougars shot 60 percent (36-60) from the field, the first time SIUE has shot 60 percent or better in a game since the 2006-07 season.
The Cougars shot 59 percent (16-27) from three-point range, the best shooting percentage from behind the arc this season. SIUE's 16 three-pointers ties the program record for most threes in a game.
From the free throw line, the Cougars went 18-24 (75 percent). SIUE outrebounded the Hornets 42-30 while forcing 22 turnovers, resulting in 34 points. The Cougars also dished out 28 assists, tying a program record set during the 2007-08 season.
Molly Sheehan scored 20 points to lead the Cougars, going 7-12 from the floor and 5-10 from long range. Sheehan and Ava Stoller co-led SIUE with seven assists each. Stoller added 19 points, tying a season high mark set Monday at Loyola Chicago. The freshman shot 8-12 overall while going 3-4 from three-point land. Stoller also led SIUE with three of the Cougars' 11 steals.
Brianna Wooldridge turned in career-high marks in points (19) and rebounds (9). Six of her nine rebounds came on the offensive end of the floor. Sofie Lowis (14), Macy Silvey (13), and Lezhauria Williams (11) rounded out SIUE's individual double digit scoring efforts.
Olivia Clayton added nine points, seven rebounds, and a career high six blocks, the most by an individual in the Ohio Valley Conference this season. Halle Smith pitched in a pair of blocks.
Harris-Stowe was led by Samara Swire's 18 points.