Trojans Fall to UALR in Quarterfinals

Saturday, March 9

Hot Springs, Ark.

2:30 p.m.

Troy University

UALR

Photo by: Sun Belt Conference

3/9/2013 5:34:00 PM | Basketball (W)

By: Matt Mays

Box Score

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The Troy women's basketball team saw its season come to close on Saturday with a 65-52 loss to UALR in the Sun Belt Championships quarterfinals. The loss came a day after the Trojans won their first game ever in Hot Springs with a 62-49 win over South Alabama in the opening round.

Troy (7-24), the tournament's 10th seed, was led by All-Sun Belt guard Joanna Harden who finished with 15 points and four assists. Ashley Beverly-Kelley was also in double figures with 10. The game was the last of the career for Aarika Howard, Sophie Kleeman and Sarah McAppion. McAppion was the only to play, scoring seven points and grabbing five rebounds.

"We lost to a good team today," Troy head coach Chanda Rigby said. "Coach Foley is one of the most winning coaches in the NCAA and we have a lot of respect for him. He's had a lot of time to teach those screens they set so well. He's had a lot of time to teach his offense. We didn't want to go down to them today, but we did fall to a great team."

Troy couldn't keep UALR off the offensive glass as the Sun Belt West Division winner grabbed 17 offensive boards and held a 15-2 advantage over Troy in second-chance points.

UALR (23-7), the tournament's second seed, was led by Taylor Gault who scored 22 points, including an 11-of-12 mark from the free throw line. Shanity James had a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds, eight of them offensive.

UALR now moves on to play WKU on Sunday in the semifinals.

Troy also had problems with turnovers in the game as they turned it over 21 times to UALR's 11 miscues. Troy couldn't capitalize on UALR's few mistakes as UALR held a 17-2 advantage in points off turnovers.

In a game in which Troy never led, the Trojans had a chance to close the distance in the second half. After trailing by 10 at the break, Troy was within five with 15:23 to go and had possession. Troy couldn't get an open jumper to fall that would've made it a one possession game, and UALR converted on its end to push the lead up to seven.

Troy got within five one more time, at 41-36 with 14:12 to go, but UALR used a 7-0 run to push their lead to 12 points before eventually going ahead by as many as 15.

Troy held UALR, a team that came in shooting 43 percent as a team, to 31.3 percent (20-of-64) shooting in the game, but UALR was good at the free throw line, going 21-of-26 (80.8 percent)

Troy shot 34.7 percent (17-of-49) as a team and made 14-of-18 (77.8 percent) from the free throw line. Each side made four 3-pointers with Harden netting two of Troy's

The loss brings the Trojans' first season under Rigby to a close, but it was a memorable one. Troy won its first game ever in Hot Springs and also defeated Middle Tennessee, the Sun Belt regular season champion, for the first time in program history. Harden was named second team All-Sun Belt and won the first Sun Belt Player of the Week award in Troy history.

For more information on Troy Athletics, visit TroyTrojans.com. Fans can also find Troy on Twitter at @TroyAthletics or on Facebook at Facebook.com/TroyAthletics.