Box Score LAFAYETTE, La.?Despite holding a 30-26 half-time lead, the University of Arkansas-Little Rock lost in the final minutes of the game 55-53 to Louisiana Lafayette Saturday. The Trojans (13-14, 5-9) end the regular season in fifth place in the Sun Belt East Division.
Renee Renz led the Trojans recording her ninth double-double of the season with team highs of 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Jocelyn Love contributed 10 points, while Andrea Keys knocked down nine points and brought down a team high of 10 boards.
Heather Morris led the team with seven assists.
UALR shot 37.9 percent from the floor to Louisiana-Lafayette's 32.2 percent and out rebounds the Ragin' Cajuns 43 to 42.
Louisiana-Lafayette (18-9, 8-7) started the first half with the tip and the first field goal at the 18:43 mark. Onna Charles gave the Ragin' Cajuns a 3-0 lead with a made free throw.
With 17:17 on the clock, Renz knocked in the first field goal for the Trojans with a jumper.
After a jumper by Louisiana-Lafayette, Love hit a three-pointer to tie the score at five. The Ragin' Cajuns answered with back-to-back jumper to take back a four point lead.
At the 14:13 mark, Keys scored on a jumper to start a Trojan six point run to expand their lead 12-9.
After exchanged baskets by both team, the Ragin' Cajuns tied the scored with free throws.
With 8:05 remaining in until the half, Rachel Smith knocked in a three-pointer to give the Trojans a 20-16 advantage.
Over the next three minutes, UALR out scored Louisiana-Lafayette 8-4 before Onna Charles knocked down two three-pointers in a row to cut the Trojan lead to two.
Renz knocked in a jumper with 30.4 seconds to give UALR the 30-26 half-time lead.
Yolanda Jones opened the second half for the Ragin' Cajuns scoring the first six points and giving them the 32-30 lead.
A jumper and a free throw by Keys regained the lead for the Trojans with 14:29 remaining. Ragin' Cajuns fired back with a jumper to give them the one point advantage.
After a three by Morris and a jumper by Renz, Louisiana-Lafayette scored six consecutive points to tie the score at 38.
At the 10:47 mark, Love knocked down an old fashioned three point play and followed that with a three-pointer to give the Trojans a 43-38 edge.
The Trojans expanded their lead to as many as nine before the Ragin' Cajuns started cutting into their leading tying the score at 49 with 4:29 on the clock.
Louisiana-Lafayette went up by as many as four before the Trojans tied the score after jumpers by Love and Renz.
With 35.8 seconds left, the Ragin' Cajuns made two free throws to take the 55-53 lead.
Louisiana-Lafayette went to the line with 5.9 seconds remaining and missed both free throws, but the Trojan's rebound was followed by a turnover before the buzzer.
Arkansas-Little Rock travels to Murfreesboro, Tenn. to play in the Sun Belt Conference Basketball Tournament next week.
