Trojans Fall to Cajuns in Sun Belt Home Opener

LITTLE ROCK – Alexius Dawn set a new career high with 25 points, but foul trouble and poor free-throw shooting down the stretch doomed Little Rock in a 65-58 loss against Louisiana at the Jack Stephens Center on Thursday night.
 
The Trojans (3-9, 1-2 Sun Belt Conference) trailed by as many as 9 points during the game and were behind for more than 37 minutes against the Ragin' Cajuns (10-2, 3-0). But Little Rock was close for the entire second half, getting their deficit as small as 1 point at with 4:50 left in the fourth quarter on a Keanna Keys free throw.
 
From there, though, Little Rock committed six fouls that resulted in 10 Louisiana free-throw attempts. The Cajuns hit nine of those 10. In that same span, the Trojans missed three of their final five free-throw attempts and three of their final five field goal attempts as well. Little Rock committed two turnovers in the final two minute as well, halting any last chance at a comeback.
 
Little Rock's loss was its first Sun Belt Conference defeat at the Jack Stephens Center since January 2013, a span of nearly three full calendar years.
 
The Trojans came close to tying the Cajuns on multiple other occasions in the second half, but Louisiana continued to find offense when the game got tight. Keke Veal led her team with 30 points, becoming the second straight player to score 30 on the Trojans after Troy's Ashley Beverley Kelly did so on Saturday. Veal was 6 of 10 from the 3-point line and 8 of 9 from the free-throw line.
 
Besides Dawn's career-best 25, Little Rock got double-figure scoring efforts from Shanity James (14 points) and Keanna Keys (10). Keys just missed a double-double with a team-best nine rebounds. James added six rebounds.
 
Little Rock opened the game by winning the tip and getting the first basket, but things soon fell apart for the Trojans. Louisiana would go on a 10-0 run after that, taking an 8-point lead in a six-minute span. Keys eventually ended the run with an and-1 layup with a converted free throw, and Little Rock was able to get within 5 points at 16-11 at the end of the quarter. Keys had 7 of the team's points and four rebounds in the first quarter.
 
Dawn's offensive touch woke up in the second quarter, as the senior recorded 7 straight points to lead the Trojans to a 7-0 run. She hit a pull-up jumper inside the arc to begin, then converted a fast-break layup on an outlet pass from Monique Townson. She finished her run with a 3-pointer, and Little Rock trailed only 20-19. But right before the second quarter's media timeout, Kia Wilridge drained a 3-pointer to put the Cajuns back on top 23-19.
 
Dawn would score 5 more points in the quarter to keep Little Rock close, but two 3-pointers by the Cajuns in the final two minutes gave them a 32-27 lead heading into halftime.
 
After a James layup started the third quarter, the Cajuns' lead grew to 9 points over the next four minutes and shrunk only to 7 points at the end of the quarter. Little Rock continued to pour in offense, scoring a game-best 17 points in the quarter, but Louisiana also had its best offensive quarter of the night with 19 points.
 
Little Rock inched closer multiple times in the final quarter, getting with 1 point on a Keys free throw with 4:50 left. But the Cajuns followed that immediately with a 3-pointer. A James layup cut that lead to 2, but that was again extended to 4 points on Veal free throws. James made two free throws of her own to bring it back to 2 points with 3:25 left, but she would miss two straight free throws on the next possession when the Trojans again had a chance to tie with 2:43 left.
 
The Trojans did not score again until just 26 seconds showed on the clock. By that point, the Cajuns were ahead by 5.
 
James made her 400th career field goal during the game. Keys scored her 300th career point during the game's first quarter and also snagged her 100th career offensive rebound on the first possession of the game. A Townson and-1 play in the second quarter gave her 100 career points.
 
Little Rock plays host to another Louisiana school on Saturday when ULM comes to the Jack Stephens Center. The Trojans and Warhawks are set for a 4 p.m. tipoff.