Box Score LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – School records were broken, career highs were set and Little Rock never trailed Saturday as the Trojans out-paced Vanderbilt, 82-74, in front of 353 fans at the Jack Stephens Center.
Mayra Caicedo, the speedy floor general for Little Rock (2-1), posted her second consecutive double-double including 14 points and a school-record 14 assists to lead the way.
Bre'Amber Scott (28 points) and
Brianna Crane (23 points) both surpassed the 20-point threshold in helping Little Rock (2-1) score the most points it ever has against a Southeastern Conference opponent.
That trio helped the Trojans race out to a 26-9 first quarter advantage that they would never relinquish, despite multiple runs by Vanderbilt (0-1). The last Vandy run, a 5-0 stretch in the fourth quarter, pulled the Commodores within seven at 66-60 with just 1:03 remaining, but the 'Dores were forced to play the foul game with Little Rock hitting enough free throws down the stretch to preserve the victory.
Little Rock's win, its first over an SEC opponent since ousting Texas A&M from the NCAA Tournament in 2015, comes as the Trojans face a stretch of three SEC opponents in a four-game run to round out non-conference play. It also marked Little Rock's first win over a Power 5 conference team since a 68-56 victory over Oklahoma on Nov. 28, 2017.
Scott, who knows all about the level to play in the SEC after two years at Mississippi State, scored a game-high and career-best 28 points in the game while grabbing six rebounds. Crane surpassed her career-high mark with 23 points, added to the Trojan scoring threat and joined Scott to go a combined 19-for-32 (59.4%) from the field and 10-for-14 (71.4%) from the charity stripe. Both had reached double figures by halftime. A Little Rock native, Scott also drew three charges to lead the Trojan defense.
Meanwhile Caicedo was an unstoppable force, scoring 14 and dishing out the new school record mark of 14 assists in the game, further cementing her Sun Belt lead in assists and assists per game early on this season. She entered the game ranking fifth in the nation in assists per game and eighth nationally in total assists, leading the Sun Belt in both categories.
Vanderbilt spent the entire game trying to catch up after Little Rock shot 60% (9 of 15) in the opening frame while the Dores hit just 4 of 16 shots (25%). Little Rock's largest lead would grow to as much as 21 early in the second quarter before Vanderbilt shifted defenses in an attempt to slow down Little Rock's potent offense.
Little Rock's hot shooting was not limited to the first quarter alone. The Trojans shot 50.8% from the field in the game (30 of 59) with a 70.8% clip from the charity strip. The 17 free throws made by the Trojans in the game were more than the total number of free throws attempted by the Commodores (13).
With one SEC win under its belt, Little Rock now faces a much more monumental challenge when No. 12 Texas A&M visits the Jack Stephens Center on Dec. 10.
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