Trojans Begin Season With 86-57 Win Over Memphis

LITTLE ROCK – Little Rock never trailed Memphis as it earned an 86-57 win in its 2017-18 season opener on Sunday afternoon at the Jack Stephens Center.
 
Sophomore Kyra Collier led Little Rock (1-0) with 23 points and was 9 for 11 from the field. She earned seven rebounds to go along with six assists.
 
Freshman Tori Lasker picked up 21 points for Little Rock — the most points by a Little Rock freshman in her first game since the program restarted in 1999. Lasker was 6 for 8 from the field and was a perfect 5 for 5 from beyond the arc. Lasker's point total was just one more than Muci Haris' 20 points in her Trojan debut against Centenary in 1999.
 
Ronjanae DeGray had 12 points and seven rebounds for the Trojans while Yanina Inkina put up 12 points and two rebounds in her first game as a Trojan. Keanna Keys was the fifth Little Rock player in double figures as she put down 10 points with five rebounds.
 
Cheyenne Creighton led the Tigers (1-1) with 28 points and came down with six rebounds. She was the only Memphis player in double figures.
 
Little Rock put up a strong first half as Collier, Lasker and Inkina each had double figures at the break. The Trojans were 7 for 9 from three after the first two quarters and led by as much as 14 points. Little Rock went into the break with a 43-30 lead.
 
The Trojans kept up the pressure in the second half by outscoring the Tigers 43-27. Little Rock was 17 for 28 in the half and a perfect 7 for 7 from the foul line. Little Rock's lead got up to as much as 32 after Collier made both of her free throws to give the Trojans a 76-44 lead.
 
Little Rock shot 55.7 percent from the field as it went 34 for 61. The Trojans also shot 69.2 percent from beyond the arc after hitting nine threes on 13 attempts. Little Rock scored 34 points in the paint and 31 points off turnovers.
 
Little Rock won the rebound battle (27-26) and doubled up on Memphis' assist total (22-11).  The Trojans earned 11 steals for the game compared to the Tigers' 4.
 
With its first win of the year in hand, Little Rock will now face Tulsa on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m., at the Jack Stephens Center. Little Rock will be hosting its first-ever School Day with at least 1,000 students from area elementary and middle schools.