Trojans Defeat Lady Bears With Four in Double Figures

Box Score LITTLE ROCK – A 12-point win gave Little Rock women's basketball its second consecutive victory against Missouri State as the Trojans defeated the Lady Bears 63-51 on Monday night at the Jack Stephens Center. The win improved Little Rock to 3-1 at the Jack Stephens Center this season.
 
The Trojans (3-4) had four players in double figures for the third time this season as Raeyana DeGray led the game with 14 points — her third consecutive game with at least 14. She ended the night shooting 53.8 percent (7-for-13) and came up with six boards. Kyra Collier came up a rebound shy of a double-double with 10 points and a season-high nine rebounds. Collier was also a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line. Yanina Inkina tied her career high with 12 points off the bench as she was 5-for-12 from the field and 1-for-2 from three. Ronjanae DeGray was the fourth Trojan in double figures with 10 points and was 5-for-8 from the field. Monique Townson led the game with five assists and three steals while scoring eight and earning five boards.
 
Aubrey Buckley was the only player in double figures for the Lady Bears (1-6) as she tallied 11 points with six rebounds.
 
Little Rock was up 19-10 over Missouri State at the end of the first quarter after shooting 53.3 percent (8-for-15). Raeyana DeGray led the quarter with six points as she went 3-for-3. Missouri State struggled to get anything going as it shot 25 percent (4-for-16).
 
The Trojans took their largest lead of the game in the second quarter at 34-14 with a layup by Inkina before heading to the half with a 17-point lead. Little Rock once again shot 53.3 percent while Missouri State shot 27.3. DeGray and Inkina each put up a quarter-high four points.
 
After being outscored for two consecutive quarters, Missouri State got its act together in the third quarter. The Lady Bears outscored the Trojans 15-10 after shooting 50 percent (6-for-12) during the period. Missouri State's effort cut Little Rock's lead to 10 at 43-33.
 
Missouri State once again shot 50 percent in the fourth quarter as it went 5-for-10 from the field and 2-for-3 from three. Little Rock had its lowest-shooting quarter of the night at 36.4 percent, but it made up for it by going 7-for-7 from the foul line. The Lady Bears were able to cut the Trojans' lead to single digits at 47-38, but Little Rock rebounded and put its lead back up to double figures for the rest of the contest. Inkina led the Trojans with six points during the final period.
 
The Trojans ended the game shooting 46.3 percent (25-for-54) — its second-highest field-goal percentage this season — while the Bears shot 36.7 (18-for-49). Little Rock committed its fewest turnovers in a game this season with 10 and tallied 14 assists — its fourth consecutive game with at least 14.
 
Little Rock will wrap up its two-game homestand against the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters on Thursday at 6:30 p.m., at the Jack Stephens Center.