Trojans Blow Out Eagles to Open Four-Game Homestand

Box Score LITTLE ROCK – The Trojan women's basketball played its most dominant game of Sun Belt play against Georgia Southern on Thursday night, getting scoring from all over the roster and holding the Eagles' offense down in a 69-36 victory at the Jack Stephens Center.
 
The Trojans (7-11, 5-4 Sun Belt Conference) went on an 11-0 run at the end of the first quarter that was part of a larger 27-8 run spanning the final 15 minutes of the first half.
 
The Eagles (6-12, 3-6) could do almost nothing on offense, shooting just 3 of 10 in the second quarter and turning the ball over seven times in the period.
 
The 33-point victory was by far Little Rock's largest of the season and largest since the team defeated Texas State in the 2015 Sun Belt Tournament by 43.
 
Shanity James topped the Trojans with 16 points and added four steals, while Keanna Keys tied a season high with 10 points and added a team-best eight rebounds.
 
Keys shot 5 of 6 from the field and is now 16 of 17 from the field lifetime against Georgia Southern in the Jack Stephens Center. James was also accurate on Thursday, making seven of her 10 attempts from the floor. Alexius Dawn recorded double-figure scoring as well with 11 points.
 
The Trojan offense was only part of the story, as the team's defense held the Eagles to just 36 points on 38 percent shooting. Those 36 points are the second-fewest scored by a Trojan opponent this year.
 
Georgia Southern turned the ball over 23 times, and those turnovers became 28 points for Little Rock. The Eagles also had no presence on the glass, as they had just 13 defensive rebounds while the Trojans pulled down 14 offensive rebounds. Little Rock outrebounded them 36-16 overall.
 
This is the team's third straight win against the Eagles and its third straight win at the Jack Stephens Center.
 
The Trojans fell behind early on Thursday, but they used a 9-0 run in the first quarter's last four minutes to take over the game. Little Rock made four of its last six attempts from the field in the quarter while the Eagles only took one field-goal attempt and two free-throw attempts in that span, missing all three. Georgia Southern also had three turnovers in the last four minutes of the quarter as the Trojans took control.
 
That control extended for the rest of the night, and that run extended to 11-0 before the Eagles finally broke it. But by then, momentum was all Little Rock's. The Trojans completely commanded the second quarter, posting 18 points to the Eagles' 7. And if not for a deep buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Georgia Southern, Little Rock would have held the Eagles to just 4 points in the quarter.
 
In the first half, Little Rock shot 60.9 percent from the field and outrebounded Georgia Southern 18-5. Keys was 4 of 4 from the floor and co-led the team with 8 points at the break. James also had 8 points and a team-best five rebounds at halftime.
 
The second half saw more of the same, with the Trojans putting up 19 points in each of the last two quarters and the Eagles managing only 21 points in the half.
 
Little Rock was able to use a season-high 13 players in the game, and the team saw nine different player score points. Kaitlyn Pratt had 8 to her name, and Monique Townson got 7 as well while dishing out a team-best five assists.
 
Sophomore Alivia Huell saw her first ever action as a Trojan. She recorded one block and one defensive rebound in her three minutes. Raeyana DeGray got 3 points off the bench late, and Autummn Williams also hit a shot in the final minutes. Amber Landing made two free throws, and Deja McKinney hit her only shot of the night.
 
Little Rock totaled 19 points off the bench.
 
Little Rock stays at home for Saturday's game against Georgia State. The Panthers and Trojans are scheduled for a 4 p.m. tipoff.