Missouri State Pulls Away Late Against Little Rock

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Missouri State averaged over 103 points in its two exhibitions and entered Tuesday's season-opener looking to prove it belonged in the Top 25 polls after back-to-back Sweet 16 runs. They left thankful for a fourth-quarter run that prevented the Lady Bears from being another victim of Little Rock's suffocating defense.
 
The host Trojans (0-1) threatened an early-season upset with a late third quarter lead but eventually fell to the near unanimous choice to win the Missouri Valley Conference in a 76-62 battle Tuesday night in front of 1,743 at the Jack Stephens Center.
 
For Little Rock, it was an all-out effort that saw the Maroon and Silver challenge Missouri State from the opening tip. The Lady Bears only briefly flirted with a double-digit lead a couple times before Little Rock would battle back and bring the Bears back to the reality that is Trojan Basketball.
 
But after losing two starters to injury in the fourth quarter – both Dariel Johnson and Mayra Caicedo are expected to return for Little Rock's next game at Vanderbilt – Missouri State (1-0) will able to use numbers to its advantage and pull away for the win.
 
"Some coaches say there is no such thing as a moral victory and I think that's a bunch of bull," Little Rock Head Coach Joe Foley said after his team's performance. "That was a heck of an effort by our team tonight. I think we learned a lot about ourselves and I think we performed better than I thought we would, especially against such a talented team like Missouri State."
 
New faces led the way for the Trojans as Raziya Potter led Little Rock's Team with 16 points while Sali Kourouma added another 15. Krystan Vornes, making her first appearance since a season-ending knee injury in March, flirted with a double-double by scoring 10 points and grabbing eight boards.
 
"I don't want to cry," Vornes said, pausing, during the postgame press conference. "But it has been a long, hard road to get to this point."
 
On the court she seemed as if nothing had gone awry in the last eight months, leading the way with three offensive boards and sinking both of her free throw attempts. She finished the night 4-for-6 from the line.
 
Overall, Little Rock shot 40% (26-for-65) from the field and ended the game even with Missouri State in rebounds, 34-34. The Trojans refused to back down in a physical game that saw seven lead changes.
 
It would take the fourth quarter run, where Missouri State out-scored Little Rock by 13 points in the period, for the Lady Bears to finally feel safe in a victory. The Lady Bears were led by Mariah White's 24 points while Brice Calip, the preseason Player of the Year in The Valley, was limited to just 15 points and 4 of 9 shooting.
 
All it did for Little Rock was give the Trojans belief in what lies ahead.
 
Little Rock returns to action at Vanderbilt on Friday, Nov. 12 as the Commodores will attempt to avenge last season's 82-74 loss to Little Rock's Team.
 
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.
 
Get the latest Trojan news – including the weekly Trojan Report – delivered to you direct to your inbox by signing up for Little Rock Trojan E-News here.
 
#LittleRocksTeam