Troy University Athletics
Turnovers Cost Troy in Women's Basketball Loss to UALR
12/30/2006 12:00:00 AM | Basketball (W)
TROY, Ala. -- Troy limited UALR to 30.2 percent shooting Saturday afternoon, but couldn't overcome 18 turnovers in a 46-36 Sun Belt Conference loss to the league's other Trojans.
Senior Valensia Hairston led Troy (8-5, 1-2 SBC) with 11 points, while sophomore Danielle Realph added 10. Hairston was also three of four from the charity stripe.
Sophomore Kylie Morrissy also added assistance in the Trojans' effort as she posted 11 points and pulled down four rebounds. Morrissy like Hairston was also three of four from the free throw line.
We really struggled offensively and I think the fact that this is our first game in 10 days was a bit of a factor. More of a factor was UALR's defense; they really put a lot of pressure on us,” head coach Michael Murphy said. In the first half we didn't do a good job of reacting to that pressure. In the second half I thought we did a great job. We shot 57 percent in the second half; we got the ball where we wanted to get it and were able to finish our shots.”
For the just the second time this season junior Amy Lewis did not score in the double digits. Lewis was held to two points and did not snatch any rebounds for the Trojans. Troy is now 0-2 when Lewis does not score in double figures.
The Trojans closed the gap to five with almost six minutes left after trailing by as many as 13 but it was not enough as they only scored one bucket after the four and a half minute mark.
Troy's last bucket came with only two seconds left on the clock.
The Trojans did hold UALR (10-4, 3-1 SBC) to 18 points in the second half after giving up 30 in the first. UALR's Nikya Hughes posted 13 points and Jocelyn Love added 11 for the Trojans. Troy held Hughes and Love to a combined four points in the second half.
We just didn't go a good enough job in the first half to win the basketball game. In the second half we did a very good job. We held them to just four made baskets in the second half and held them to 17 percent shooting in the second half,” Murphy said.
The Trojans committed 19 turnovers in the game compared to UALR's 12. Troy also pulled down 28 rebounds, three on offense, compared to UALR who got 32. 14 of UALR's 32 rebounds were on offense.
Troy entered the half down by 13 as UALR was 12 of 30 from the floor shooting 40 percent into the half. The Trojans had a shooting percentage of 33.3 percent at the end of the half.
Morrissy was the leading scorer for the Trojans at the half with six points followed by Realph with five.
At the half, Troy only had 13 rebounds which was seven less than UALR who had pulled down 20. Hairston led the Trojans in rebounds with three followed by Realph and Shearing with two each.
The Trojans will be back in action on Jan. 4 when they travel to Bowling Green, Ky., to play Western Kentucky at 7 p.m.
