NEW ORLEANS – For the 11th time in program history, top-seeded Little Rock women's basketball (21-9) will compete for a spot in the Sun Belt Conference Championship final when it faces No. 4 Troy (18-12) on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Lakefront Arena. The game will air live on ESPN3.
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Little Rock leads Troy 17-5 in the all-time series since 2006. Troy was the only blemish on Little Rock's 2017-18 Sun Belt schedule as it defeated Little Rock 76-70 in overtime in Troy. In the Sun Belt Championship, Little Rock last faced Troy in the 2016 final and took a narrow 61-60 loss. On a neutral floor, Little Rock holds the lead at 2-1, but when playing at Lakefront Arena, the series is tied at 1-1.
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Troy defeated South Alabama 82-79 in the quarterfinals on Thursday. Troy is on a two-game winning streak after taking an 85-78 loss at Georgia State in the next-to-last regular-season contest. Troy has the best rebounding team in the country at 49.8 per game and also leads the nation in offensive rebounds at 21 per game. Troy has the ninth-best scoring offense in the country at 82.5 points per game, but it ranks 343rd for scoring defense at 76.6 points allowed per game. Troy also commits the third-most fouls per game in the nation at 23 per game.
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- A win against Troy would put Little Rock in the Sun Belt Championship final for the first time since 2016.
- Little Rock has advanced to the final eight times in program history — the most by a current Sun Belt Conference member.
- A Little Rock victory would give it 24 tournament wins — tying Louisiana Tech for the fourth-most in conference history.
- Little Rock is 7-3 in Sun Belt Conference semifinal games.
- By percentage, Little Rock is the winningest current Sun Belt Conference member with a record of 23-14 (.621) at the Sun Belt Conference Championship.
- Little Rock's scoring defense ranks sixth nationally at 52.3 points allowed per game.
- Little Rock is 17-5 against Troy since the beginning of the series in 2006.
- A victory would give Little Rock its first-ever 22-9 start.
- Little Rock received votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll for the first time since March 13, 2017.
- Little Rock moved up to No. 24 in this week's College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 Poll.
- Little Rock's 34 points allowed against App State on Thursday tied for the third-fewest in the Sun Belt Championship in conference history.
- Head coach Joe Foley earned his fifth Sun Belt Coach of the Year award on Monday — the second-most awards in conference history.
- Ronjanae DeGray earned All-Sun Belt First Team honors while Keanna Keys and Monique Townson took All-Sun Belt Third Team honors.
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With a win, Little Rock will face either No. 2 Texas State or No. 6 Louisiana in the Sun Belt Conference Championship final on Sunday at 6 p.m.
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