Turnovers Costly for Trojans

JONESBORO, Ark. – Kyra Collier scored 16 points and Skyla Knight it a trio of three-pointers but Little Rock could not battle back after Arkansas State went on a double-digit run in the second half, falling 72-54 in Jonesboro.
 
Collier's 16 points led the Trojans while Teal Battle added 13 points and Skyla Knight matched a career-best 11 points in just her second career start. Angelique Francis led Little Rock with a career-high eight rebounds.
 
The Red Wolves (10-17, 7-9 Sun Belt) used a 10-0 run in the third quarter to extend an 11-point lead out to 21 and creating a deficit too big from which the Trojans (11-16, 9-7) could dig itself out of, despite shooting over 50% in the quarter.
 
Little Rock had already rallied back from one double-digit deficit, ending the first half on a 9-2 run to pull within four at 26-24. But the halftime intermission – highlighted by a presentation by renowned performer Red Panda – quelled any momentum the Trojans had built before the break.
 
Arkansas State took control in the third quarter, slowly extending its lead to 11 points less than four minutes into the period before exploding on a 10-0 run that including one of Mya Love's two treys.
 
While the teams were relatively even in turnovers, it was how they were received that made the difference. Arkansas State committed 12 turnovers that led to nine Trojan points but the Red Wolves scored 23 points off of Little Rock's 15 turnovers.
 
That became a defining aspect of the game as most of the statistical numbers were relatively even between the two teams. A-State led in shooting (44.2% to 42.6%), 3-point shooting (44.4% to 33.3%) and rebounding (32 to 28). The difference came in the long range shots as the Red Wolves, averaging less than six treys per game, drained eight of their 18 attempts.
 
Arkansas State had four players in double figures, led by Peyton Martin's double-double (18 points, 12 rebounds). Mya Love added 15 points, Jireh Washington scored 14 and Morgan Wallace added 12 points for the Red Wolves.
 
Little Rock now returns home for the final two games of the regular season, hosting Troy (March 5) and South Alabama (March 7). Despite Friday's setback, the Trojans are still in the hunt for fourth place and a host seed for the opening two rounds of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
 
For the latest information on Little Rock Basketball, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockWBB on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
 
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