Box Score TULSA, Okla. - The
Trojans forced two shot-clock violations and held the Golden Hurricane to 20-59
shooting from the field (33.9%) as UALR (1-0) won its season opener 73-64 over Tulsa
(0-2) Monday night (Nov. 12) in Tulsa, Okla.
Sophomore Taylor Gault led UALR with a career-high 33 points on 13-for-20 shooting from the
field. The 65% shooting was the second-best in her collegiate career. Junior Hannah Fohne narrowly missed her first collegiate
double-double with 10 points and nine boards. Junior Taylor Ford added seven points, four rebounds and four assists.
Tulsa was led by Taleya Mayberry's 22 points while Tiffani
Couisnard contributed 10 points and 13 boards.
As a team, UALR used a 29-for-53 effort from the field (54.7
percent), a 4-7 mark (57.1 percent) from behind the arc and a 42-31 edge on the
boards. However, Tulsa forced 28 turnovers and scored 21 points to keep the
game close. TU threw 22 of its own that led to 18 points for UALR.
The Trojans came out strong and forced a shot-clock
violation on its first defensive possesion and UALR raced to a 7-2 lead on a
Gault lay-up and a jumper and trey from senior Janette Merriex. Up 11-8, freshman Carolee Dillard, sophomore Kiera Clark and Ford added jumpers around a three-pointer by TU to open a 17-11
UALR advantage.
UALR jumped out to an 11-point lead on two separate
occasions on the first half. UALR held a 21-15 lead just under nine minutes
left until break when Clark grabbed a Tulsa miss and found Gault streaking down
the court for the fastbreak layup. After Clark grabbed another defensive
rebound, Merriex found Gault on the right wing for her first triple of the
season to open up a 26-15 UALR advantage with 7:24 left in the half.
Tulsa threw a quick 6-2 run, but UALR answered with a jumper
by Gault that hit nothing but net and a layup by freshman Shanity James from
classmate Morgan Bolton to give UALR a 32-21 edge at the under-four media
timeout.
Tulsa forced 17 UALR turnovers in the first half, including
four in the last four minutes to pull within three, 34-31, at intermission.
The second half saw UALR face its first deficit of the
season, but the Trojans held Tulsa to at most a one-point advantage. With the
game tied at 40 with 15 minutes left, Gault hit her first of two huge threes
from downtown to give UALR what would be the lead for good. Ford then grabbed a
steal and raced down the court and was fouled on the shot. She hit both for the
UALR 45-40 edge. On the ensuing defensive possession, the Trojans nearly forced
the third TU shot clock violation. Freshman Jakeisha Wells grabbed the ball right before the end of the clock
and found Gault racing down the court for the fastbreak layup to cap a UALR 7-0
run.
Tulsa did not go away and actually cut it to 64-58 with a
pair of free throws by Mayberry with 2:40 left, but Gault shot the dagger from
behind the arc as Tulsa sagged off on defense to leave Gault open. Tulsa cut it
back to six with 26 seconds left in the game, but Ford split from the line and
Gault nailed a pair for the final nine-point margin.
UALR returns to action when it opens up home play Thursday
(Nov. 15) when it hosts Missouri State. Game time is 7 p.m.
