LITTLE ROCK – For the first time in program history on Wednesday, the Little Rock women's basketball team won a game in the Postseason WNIT. On Sunday afternoon in Alabama, the Trojans will look to make even more history.
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Little Rock will be facing the Crimson Tide of the Southeastern Conference at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on Sunday at 2 p.m. At stake is a berth in the WNIT Round of 16. The Trojans have never made a Round of 16 in any national tournament. Free live video will be available through
RollTide.com.
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Trojan fans can help send off the team on Saturday afternoon, as Little Rock Athletics will be holding a send-off at the Jack Stephens Center starting at 11:30 a.m. All fans are encouraged to attend to cheer on the Trojans as they depart for Alabama at noon.
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Little Rock had an excellent, balanced team game on Wednesday against Southern Miss to earn their date with the Crimson Tide. The Trojans had five different players score in double figures including career highs from freshman
Anna Hurlburt (12) and sophomore
Kira Shepard (14).
And on her birthday, senior forward
Kaitlyn Pratt extended her Trojan career by leading Little Rock with 18 points and eight rebounds.
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With Wednesday's WNIT First Round game against Southern Miss tied at 54-54 with six minutes to play, the Trojans took over. Little Rock went on a 16-3 over the next five minutes, getting baskets from
Kira Shepard,
Monique Townson,
Sharde' Collins and
Ronjanae DeGray. Shepard had 7 points in that stretch, and Southern Miss did not score a field goal in a span of 4:15 as the Trojans pulled away.
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The win was Little Rock's first ever in Postseason WNIT play. In four previous games in this tournament, Little Rock had been 0-4. The win also gave the Trojans 25 total victories on the year for just the fourth time in team history.
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Awaiting Little Rock in Alabama will be the Crimson Tide of the SEC. Alabama has a 20-13 record this year, getting to the 20-win mark for the first time since 1998-99. The Tide have an RPI of 132 nationally and finished the SEC slate in 12th place. Alabama made the third round of the league tournament before losing to No. 4 Kentucky.
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The Tide are fifth in the nation in free-throw attempts, getting to the line 748 times this season. They are also 37th in rebounds per game with 41.6 and 47th in blocked shots with 143.
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Hannah Cook leads the team with 11.5 points per game, and Meoshonti Knight is second with 11.2. Ashley Williams averages a team-best 6.2 rebounds per game, and Shaquera Wade averages 5.7. Jordan Lewis has 4.2 assists per game to top Alabama, and Ashley Knight has a team-high 79 blocks on the year.
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TIP OFF
- Little Rock ended the Sun Belt regular season with a 17-1 record, winning the league's regular-season championship for the second time in three years. The Trojans won their first 12 league games in a row and their final five.
- Little Rock won a Postseason WNIT game for the first time in program history on Wednesday night, defeating Southern Miss thanks to a late fourth-quarter run.
- Five Trojans scored in double figures on Wednesday for the second time this year.
- This is Little Rock's fifth appearance in the Postseason WNIT all-time, all since 2008. Little Rock is 1-4 lifetime in the Postseason WNIT including 1-3 on the road.
- Little Rock senior Sharde' Collins was named the Sun Belt Player of the Year on and earned a spot on the league's First Team. Coach Joe Foley was named Coach of the Year for the fourth time and Kaitlyn Pratt was also on the First Team.
- Little Rock is allowing just 55.2 points per game, a number that puts the Trojans 12th in the nation.
- The Trojans are receiving three points in the AP Poll this week and two points in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
- Little Rock has the highest RPI in the Sun Belt this season, ranking 48th in the nation as of Tuesday morning.
- The Trojans have never played Alabama but has played three other SEC teams this season.
