Trojans to Open Sun Belt Tournament vs. App State

Sun Belt Quarterfinals: #1 Little Rock (23-7) vs. #9 Appapalchian State (12-18)
Date	Thursday, March 9
Time	11:30 a.m.
Location	New Orleans, La.
Stadium	Lakefront Arena
Stats	Statbroadcast
Audio	KARN The Sports Animal
Video	ESPN3
Notes	Little Rock

LITTLE ROCK – Tournament time is here.
 
The top-seeded Little Rock women's basketball team will make its debut at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament on Thursday morning when it faces No. 9 seed Appalachian State at 11:30 a.m. in the quarterfinal round. The game will be aired live on ESPN3.
 
Little Rock enters Thursday's game as the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament after claiming the regular-season championship. The Trojans finished the conference regular-season with a 17-1 record, winning the league title by a three-game margin.
 
That finish earned Little Rock a first-round bye. Appalachian State, on the other hand, earned its spot in Thursday's game by defeating No. 8 Coastal Carolina in the tournament's opening round on Tuesday by a 79-58 score.
 
In the teams' two previous meetings this year, Little Rock defeated Appalachian State by scores of 77-69 and 67-55. The Trojans led by as many as 20 points in the first game and 18 points in the second game.
 
Since facing the Mountaineers, Little Rock has continued to win and is starting to receive national attention. The Trojans earned three points in the Associated Press poll released on Monday, placing in the poll for the first time all year. Little Rock is also up to nine points in the USA Today Coaches Poll and up to No. 11 in the Mid Major Top 25.

The Trojans' defense has continued to be stellar, as Little Rock ranks ninth in the country as of Tuesday morning in scoring defense. The Trojans have allowed just 54.3 points per game this year.
 
Three Trojans were rewarded for their season-long performance on Monday morning when the Sun Belt released its year-end awards. Senior Sharde' Collins was named to the All-Sun Belt First Team and named Player of the Year. Kaitlyn Pratt was also named to the All-Sun Belt First Team, and Coach Joe Foley was named the league's Coach of the Year.
 
For Appalachian State, Joi Jones and Madi Story earned All-Sun Belt Third Team honors from the league on Monday. Story is the team's top scorer with 13.6 points per game, and Jones is close behind with 13.1 points per game. On the boards, Story is App's best player with 6.9 rebounds per game.
 
The Mountaineers rank fifth in the conference in scoring offense, averaging 62.6 points per game through the regular season. The Mountaineers finished the regular season with an 11-18 record and a 6-12 mark in conference play. App is now 12-18 in the league after Tuesday's first-round tournament win over Coastal Carolina.
 
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.
• The Trojans won their fifth straight game on Saturday, defeating Troy in a game where Little Rock led by as many as 21.
• Little Rock senior Sharde' Collins was named the Sun Belt Player of the Year on Monday 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 54.3 points per game, a number that puts the Trojans ninth in the nation as of Monday morning.
• Little Rock has reached the 12-win threshold in the Sun Belt for 11 consecutive years, averaging 14.7 conference wins per year in that span.
• Little Rock has won at least 20 games in 10 of the last 11 seasons.
• The Trojans are receiving three points in the AP Poll this week, nine points in the USA Today Coaches Poll and are ranked No. 11 in this week's Mid Major Top 25.
• Little Rock has the highest RPI in the Sun Belt this season, ranking 46th in the nation as of Monday morning.
• The Trojans have reached the Sun Belt semifinals for nine consecutive years and have won the Sun Belt Tournament three times.

 
Sun Belt Championship ticket booklets are on sale now for $120 through the Little Rock Ticket Office. Contact Casey Page at 501.565.8257 with questions or to make your purchase.
 
Single-session tickets, which allow access to the two games listed in the session (except for the championship games), can be purchased for $15 each at the Lakefront Arena ticket office or on TicketMaster.com. Kids' tickets (ages 3-12) are also available for just $5 – which also includes a hot dog and soft drink. Children ages two and under are admitted free but must be accompanied by an adult.