Trojans Fall in Nail-biter against UT Arlington, 55-50

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Ky'lie Scott scored a career-high 19 points in her first career start and Krystan Vornes registered her fifth career double-double but Little Rock fell to UT Arlington, 55-50, Saturday night in a close game that has become the standard between the two programs.
 
Scott's 19-point performance came as Little Rock (5-5, 1-2 Sun Belt) played for the first time in 20 days after COVID protocols stymied the Trojans' attempts to compete the last two weeks.
 
While the pandemic was problematic for the Trojans, the Trojans stingy defense was just as problematic for UT Arlington (6-3, 4-1). Little Rock forced 22 turnovers from UT Arlington, matching a season-high for a Trojans opponent, and the Mavs were limited to just 3 of 12 shooting from beyond the arc.
 
Little Rock shot a season-high 50% from 3-point range, with three of the four treys coming off the hot hand of Scott. While Scott was hitting baskets from all corners of the floor, Krystan Vornes was a nearly unstoppable force in the paint as she registered her fifth double-double of the year with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Nearly unstoppable, that was, until receiving her fifth foul with 6:17 to go in the game as Little Rock held a slim 42-41 lead.
 
"That took the wind right out of us, once she fouled out," Little Rock Head Coach Joe Foley said.
 
The loss of leadership on the floor from the senior and loss of Little Rock's leading rebounder – she ranks fifth in the conference in rebounds per game – was pivotal for the Trojans. UTA would go on to out-score Little Rock 14-8 over the final six-plus minutes of the game while the Trojans went cold, shooting just 16.7 percent from the floor in the final quarter.
 
UT Arlington had three players reach double figures, led by the 13 points from Terry Milton. Jordynn Hernadez added 11 points while Shyia Smith scored 10.
 
The two teams will meet again Saturday afternoon with a 4 p.m. tipoff at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock.
 
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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