Ohio Valley Conference

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Little Rock turned in one of its most complete performances of the season Saturday afternoon, rolling past Tennessee State 76–39 at the Jack Stephens Center to improve to 7–7 overall and 3–1 in Ohio Valley Conference play. The Trojans have now won three in a row. 

Little Rock controlled the game on both ends, scoring 42 points in the paint while forcing turnovers that led to 21 points. Little Rock's defense was especially stifling after halftime, holding Tennessee State to just eight points in the second half.

Little Rock blew the game open in the third quarter, outscoring Tennessee State 20–8. Jordan Holman controlled the paint throughout the period, finishing with 15 points and nine rebounds, while Mya Cotto and Destinee Salgado added timely baskets to extend the margin. Alaina Payne orchestrated the offense and cleaned the glass as Tennessee State struggled to generate consistent looks, committing multiple turnovers and missing several open shots.

The Trojans put the finishing touches on the win in the fourth quarter, holding the Tigers to just four points. Brenna Burk knocked down a three-pointer, Salgado added a tip-in, and Lidia Belmonte Hurtado capped the scoring with a fast-break layup. Little Rock allowed only two field goals in the final period, closing out a dominant 37-point victory. Every available Trojan saw action and scored.

Jarahle Daniels finished with 13 points and three steals, while Cotto matched her with 13 points and added three steals of her own.

Salgado chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds, and Pearson McVay contributed seven boards and a block as Little Rock continued to showcase its depth.

Tennessee State opened the game with back-to-back baskets, but Little Rock answered quickly. Payne sparked the Trojans early with a layup off an assist from Cotto, and Salgado followed with a three-point play to give Little Rock its first lead. Holman added a late basket to tie the game before Daniels scored with six seconds remaining, sending the Trojans into the first break with a 15–13 advantage.

Little Rock began to separate in the second quarter with a decisive run. Cotto ignited the stretch with a three-pointer and a layup, while Holman continued to assert herself inside with a tip-in midway through the period. Daniels closed the half with a strong finish and a free throw, helping the Trojans take firm control heading into halftime.

UT MARTIN 58, EASTERN ILLINOIS 51
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin women's basketball team defeated Eastern Illinois, 58-51, Saturday afternoon at the Kathleen & Tom Elam Center in Martin.

The game was a low-scoring affair, with neither team reaching the 60-point mark. Eastern Illinois shot just 30.5 percent from the field, while the Skyhawks shot 29.1 percent. UT Martin was outscored in the second half, 31-26, but it was a big second quarter that saw them hold a 21-9 advantage over the Panthers that helped seal the win.

Despite the second-half rally by Eastern Illinois, UT Martin never trailed in the game and the score was tied only once, at 6-6, in the first quarter. The difference in the game proved to be the 31 trips to the free throw line for the Skyhawks, where they made 23, compared to an 11-for-15 clip by the Panthers.

Kenley McCarn led all scorers in the game with 21 points, marking the second consecutive game and the third time in the last four games that she has reached or eclipsed the 20-point mark. Zy Thompson scored 14 points, pulled down eight rebounds and had a career-best four blocks, while Brittani Wells scored 10 points to go along with six rebounds and five assists. Sidni Middleton scored just three points in the game but led the Skyhawks on the glass by tying her career-high of nine rebounds.

LINDENWOOD 75, SOUTHERN INDIANA 65
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The Lindenwood women's basketball team (10-5, 2-2 OVC) handed Southern Indiana (9-4, 3-1 OVC) their first conference loss of the season in a 75-65 win on Saturday afternoon from Hyland Arena.

It was a back-and-forth game early on, but a three from Ellie Brueggemann put the Lions in front 15-11. Following an Alyssa Nielsen steal, Brueggemann made another jumper to put Lindenwood up six and Southern Indiana called timeout. The Lions would lead by two after 10 minutes.

Lindenwood took its largest lead of the game at 27-20 after a layup from Gracie Kelsey off a feed from Brooke Coffey and USI needed timeout once again. The Lions were able to stretch the lead to nine at 31-22 following a layup from Anna McCarn. However, the Screaming Eagles closed the gap to three before the half and Lindenwood led 34-31. Brueggemann led the Lions with 12 points across the first 20 minutes of play.

Coming out of the break, Mya Skoff finished a big and-one to put the Lions up 42-35 just over a minute into the third. A few minutes later, another layup by Skoff increased the advantage to 47-38. The Lions extended the lead to double digits at 53-42 as Brueggemann hit a jumper with two minutes to go. After Southern Indiana hit a three to get within eight, Brueggemann answered with a shot from deep. The Lions led 57-48 after three.

Southern Indiana wouldn't go away early in the fourth and forced a Lindenwood timeout after cutting the deficit to eight at 60-52. The Lions settled back down and maintained a double-digit lead throughout the fourth and handed USI their first conference loss of the season in a 75-65 win.

MOREHEAD STATE 54, SIUE 49
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - The Morehead State women's basketball team rode a big afternoon by Kate Dike and outlasted SIUE 54-49 to even their Ohio Valley Conference record to 2-2 Saturday afternoon at the First Community Arena in Edwardsville, Illinois.
 
Dike, who posted her fourth double-double of the season, and the fifth of her career, with 29 points and 10 rebounds to pace Morehead State (7-8, 2-2 OVC). Marie Sepp finished with 15 points, hitting seven of her 11 field goal attempts.
 
The Eagles shot over 50% from the floor for the third straight contest, but struggled from three-point range, hitting just one of their season-low 11 attempts. The MSU defense again was strong, holding the Cougars just 29% (15-52) from the floor.
 
SIUE (8-6, 1-3 OVC) was paced by Lauren Miller with 13 points. She hit seven of her eight free throw attempts. Cougar leading scorer Kiyoko Proctor finished with 11 points.  
 
Morehead State went into the final quarter ahead 35-29. The Eagles opened the final period hitting their first four shots from the floor but three turnovers in the opening three minutes hampered the Eagles effort. The Cougars cut the Eagle lead to three at 41-38 with just under six minutes to play. The MSU edge expanded to seven with a Dike layup at 3:38. Dike was whistled for a technical foul in the aftermath of the play.

SIUE responded with a six-point run capped by a pair of Adebukola Akomolafe free throw to make the score 47-46 with 2:37 to go. MSU rallied and sealed the win hitting three of four free throws down the stretch. The Eagles were sharp from the floor, hitting seven of 10 from the field.
 
Morehead State fell behind to begin the game 10-2, hitting just two of their first seven shots from the floor. The Eagles bounced back by hitting five of the next eight shots and holding SIUE scoreless over the final 4:35 of play in the quarter. An 11-point run to close out the period put MSU up 15-12 at the quarter break. Dike paced the Eagles with nine points and three rebounds in the opening ten minutes, as the Eagles shot 50% (7-15) in the frame.
 
Both teams struggled offensively in the second quarter. SIUE outscored MSU 6-5 in the quarter. The Cougars shot 2-12 (17%) from the floor while the Eagles made two of their nine attempts from the floor (22%). Sepp made a layup off of a steal at the buzzer to put the Eagles ahead 20-18 at the intermission. Similar to the opening quarter, SIUE failed to score in the final 4:31 of the half.
 
The Eagles opened the second half hitting five of their first eight shots and used a 10-2 quarter-opening run to move ahead 30-22. Dike paced the Eagles with nine points in the period including Morehead State's first three-pointer of the game at the 3:08 mark. MSU hit seven of their 11 shots (64%), outscoring the Cougars 15-11 in the frame.

WESTERN ILLINOIS 58, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 51
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Western Illinois women's basketball used a strong fourth-quarter surge to secure a 58–51 Ohio Valley Conference road win over Southeast Missouri on Saturday afternoon at the Show Me Center.

The Leathernecks were led by a dominant performance from Mia Nicastro, who poured in a game-high 29 points, shooting 9-for-17 from the field and 11-for-13 at the free-throw line. Nicastro also added seven rebounds as WIU outscored the Redhawks 20–12 in the final period to pull away late.

Western Illinois held a slim 15–10 advantage after the first quarter, but Southeast Missouri responded with a 19-point second frame to take a 29–26 lead into halftime. The Redhawks extended their lead to as many as 11 points in the third quarter before the Leathernecks chipped away and entered the final period trailing just 39–38.

WIU took control early in the fourth quarter behind baskets from Nicastro, Kaylen Reed, and Mallory Shetley, reclaiming the lead for good at 40–39. The Leathernecks built their advantage to six points midway through the quarter and sealed the win at the free-throw line in the final minute.

Shetley finished with 12 points and six rebounds, while Reed added 11 points on an efficient 5-for-7 shooting. Addi Brownfield contributed on the glass with 10 rebounds, helping WIU win the rebounding battle 35–25.

Western Illinois shot 43.2 percent from the field and went 19-for-26 from the free-throw line, while holding Southeast Missouri to 32.1 percent shooting.