Little Rock Extends Streak, Holds Off Auburn in 57-49 Battle

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Mayra Caicedo couldn't miss on Wednesday. Little Rock's senior point guard was 5-for-5 from the field, dished out eight assists and hit two critical free throws in the final minute as the Trojans topped Auburn, 57-49, for their second win over a Power 5 program this season.
 
Prior to Caicedo's trip to the line with 58 seconds to play, Little Rock (4-1) had struggled from the charity stripe, shooting just 38% at the time. But in that final minute, everything changed. Caicedo drilled her two shots, the Trojans hit 5 of 6 down the stretch and Little Rock turned a one-possession game into a nearly double-digit win.
 
It marked the second straight game the Maroon and Silver used a lock down defense to shutdown a comeback attempt after preventing Memphis from scoring a field goal in the final six minutes last week. This time, Auburn (2-3) fell prey to the defensive efforts orchestrated by Little Rock Head Coach Joe Foley. That defense made up for what the team described as an offensive effort that still needed work.
 
"We got the win but we know we have to be better," Caicedo said. "We will learn from this and use it to get better. I'm glad we got the win and thought we played well in some areas."
 
Despite the desire to improve, Little Rock shot 45.8% from the field, forced 17 turnovers and blocked three shots. But the Trojans entered the final minute of play having allowed Auburn to creep back within reach after leading by as much as 13 earlier in the half.
 
Krystan Vornes was a big part of the outcome for Little Rock, registering her first double-double of the season as she recorded 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Sali Kourouma, the nation's fourth-leading scorer, led all players with 16 points and shot over 58% from the field.
 
The improvement Caicedo and Foley mentioned in the postgame press conference dealt with allowing a double-digit lead to evaporate into a one-possession margin and committing turnovers with three players entering the final minute in foul trouble. Caicedo, Kourouma and Dariel Johnson each had four fouls entering the final 60 seconds.
 
But the Trojan defense still stood strong in tight moments. Auburn, which lost its second game of the year to a Sun Belt program, shot just 32.2% from the floor and committed 17 turnovers, eight of which were courtesy of Little Rock steals. Three different Trojans recorded a block, including Angelique Francis who claimed seven rebounds to her credit.
 
Auburn was led by Sania Wells' 11 points while Aicha Coulibaly added 10.  Coulibaly scored six of her 10 points in the second half as the Tigers tried in vain for a comeback attempt.
 
The Trojans will take a four-game winning streak to Tulsa this weekend for the ORU Thanksgiving Tournament hosted by Oral Roberts. Little Rock will face Abilene Christian (3-1) on Saturday before battling host Oral Roberts on Sunday.
 
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.
 
Notables

• Little Rock is now 1-1 all-time against Auburn.
• Little Rock is currently 2-0 against the Southeastern Conference this season.
• This marks the third time since 2008 that Little Rock has recorded multiple wins over P5 opponents in the same season.
• Krystan Vornes (14 points, 10 rebounds) recorded her 10^th career double-double in the game. It marked her first double-double of the season.
• Mayra Caicedo scored a season-high 13 points and dished out a season-high eight assists.
• Little Rock shot a season-high 45.8% from the field (22 of 48).

 
#LittleRocksTeam