Box Score LITTLE ROCK – The UALR defense showed why it is the best in the Sun Belt Conference on Thursday night, holding the league's top offense to its second-lowest score of the season.
UALR remained unbeaten in Sun Belt play with an 82-56 victory over Troy at the Jack Stephens Center, keeping the Troy offense 19.8 points below its season average.
Troy (11-6, 6-2), the league's third-place team, scored just 18 points in the first half – a season low – and the UALR (15-2, 8-0 Sun Belt) offense did more than enough in scoring a season-high 82 points as the team won its eighth consecutive Sun Belt game by at least 20.
Shanity James was the top producer on offense, scoring 14 points while also earning 11 rebounds for her second straight double-double. Taylor Gault (14 points), Ka'Nesheia Cobbins (11) and Kiera Clark (10) also reached double figures in scoring.
The victory continues UALR's best-ever start to a season with a 15-2 record after 17 games, and this was UALR's 11th consecutive regular-season conference win dating back to last year. UALR is now 8-0 in league play for the first time since 2010-11 and remains in sole possession of first place in the Sun Belt standings. UALR has also won 18 consecutive conference games at the Jack Stephens Center.
Troy scored the game's first 4 points, and it looked as though the Troy offense might be too much for UALR to handle in the first two minutes as it started with three consecutive made field goals. But after three minutes had gone by, UALR tied the game at 8-8 and went on an impressive run of scoring and defense that lasted for the rest of the half.
Troy led at 10-8 with 15:54 left in the period, and that was Troy's last field goal until the buzzer sounded at the end of the half. UALR would go on a 16-0 run over the next six minutes, getting baskets from all over the court and flummoxing the Troy offense with pressure defense.
After starting the game 5 of 9 from the field, Troy missed its next 18 shots over the half's last 16 minutes until a Lacey Buchanon half-court shot beat the buzzer. Besides that 3-pointer, Troy's other 5 points in the final 16 minutes all came at the free-throw line.
While Troy was missing its shots and committing 16 turnovers, UALR was hitting plenty of shots and passing the ball well. UALR finished the first half shooting 16 of 33 from the field and assisting on eight of those 16 baskets. UALR got 6 fast-break points while Troy had none, and UALR went into the break leading 42-18. UALR was led by Cobbins' 9 points at the break, and Gault also had 8 despite sitting the final seven minutes of the half with two fouls.
The second half saw Troy's offense pick things up, but by then it was too late as UALR still outscored Troy by 2 points in the second half. UALR continued to impress on offense, shooting 51.9 percent in the second half to prevent Troy from cutting into the lead. UALR led by as many as 38 points in the second half before emptying its bench and allowing Troy to get the game back within 25.
During the game, Gault got her 1,700th career point while James reached 500 career rebounds. James moved up to seventh all-time at UALR in career rebounds, eighth all-time in blocks and ninth all-time in attempted free throws.
Cobbins and Alexius Dawn led the way for UALR in assists with six apiece while James had the most steals on the team with four. Keanna Keys nabbed six rebounds while adding three points, and Dawn had nine points on three 3-pointers while snagging four defensive rebounds.
Troy committed 26 turnovers while UALR got 19 assists.
UALR has just one day off before its next game when the Trojans will face UT Arlington at the Jack Stephens Center on Saturday at 3 p.m.
