Troy Falls at UT Arlington

Thursday, February 23

Arlington, Texas

7 PM

Troy University

18-8, 11-4

UT Arlington

18-7, 11-4

Troy

UT Arlington

Photo by: Chris Davis

2/23/2017 9:52:00 PM | Basketball (W)

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: Wes Johnson

Box Score

ARLINGTON, Texas – The Troy women's basketball couldn't find its rhythm in a 78-72 loss to UT Arlington at the College Park Center on Thursday.

The Trojans (18-8, 11-4 Sun Belt) got double-digit scoring performances from Caitlyn Ramirez (14), Claresa Banks (14) and ArJae' Saunders (14), but shot just 35 percent as a team and could never quite silence UTA's offense for any stretch of the game.

The teams jockeyed for early dominance, but neither could create separation in the first quarter. UTA opened a modest six-point lead, but Banks hit a 3-pointer followed by a Jayla Chills layup to cut the deficit to one. Chills then knocked down a shot from distance with 33 second remaining in the opening period to give Troy a 16-15 advantage.

The Mavericks turned a three minute Troy scoring drought into a 13-0 run and a 28-19 lead with 3:19 left in the half. The Trojans pulled back within five, 33-28, when Kristen Emerson sank a free throw to complete a three-point play but headed to the locker room down eight after UTA scored the final three points of the half.

With UT Arlington leading scorer and rebounder Rebekah VanDijk on the bench with four fouls, Amanda Mendoza made it hurt by hitting consecutive 3-pointers to pull Troy within one just before the horn. It would not be enough however as the Mavericks outscored Troy 27-22 in the fourth frame and made their last five shots to put the game out of reach.

UP NEXT
Troy plays its final road game of the regular season on Saturday as the Trojans take on Texas State at 2 p.m. The game is part of a doubleheader with the men's team, which tips off immediately following the conclusion of the women's game.

NOTABLE
• For the fourth straight game, the Trojans used the starting lineup of Amanda Mendoza, ArJae' Saunders, Jayla Chills, Caitlyn Ramirez and Dajia Williams.

• With nearly 40 family members in attendance, Shawnee, Okla., native Caitlyn Ramirez eclipsed 12 points for the 11^th straight game.

• The loss snaps a three-game winning streak against UT Arlington. The Trojans still lead the all-time series 6-3.

For more information on Troy women's basketball, visit TroyTrojans.com or follow the team on Twitter at @TroyTrojansWBB.

The 2017 Sun Belt Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Championships are scheduled for a week of March Madness in the Big Easy. New Orleans will once again be home to the two championships that will take place at Lakefront Arena from March 7-12. For more information, visit the Sun Belt Conference's championship central websites - Men's Championship – Women's Championship – and be sure to follow the @FunBelt on social media - @SunBelt.