Little Rock falls to UCA in Governor's I-40 Showdown

The Little Rock women's basketball team put together its most efficient outing of the season Saturday but couldn't complete a late rally as the Trojans fell 63-58 to in-state rival Central Arkansas in latest installment of the Governor's I-40 Showdown at the Jack Stephens Center.
 
The Trojans (0-6) shot a season-best 40 percent from the floor and scored a season-high 58 points with three players reaching double figures. Little Rock got out to an early 16-7 lead after the opening frame but struggled in the second where UCA (5-3) outscored the Trojans by a 19-7 margin to take a 26-23 halftime lead. The Sugar Bears were able to hold off Little Rock's comeback efforts in the second half to win the matchup for a second year in a row.
 
Jaiyah Harris-Smith scored a team-high 14 points, grabbed seven rebounds and distributed five assists, Faith Lee added 13 points (eight in the first period) with five rebounds and Leilani Wimbish-Gay chipped in 10 points. Trinity Hudson scored nine points and Jayla Brooks had eight. Leah Mafua led the Sugar Bears with a game-high 16 points to go with seven rebounds, Jade Upshaw added 13 points and five rebounds, while Kinley Fisher tossed in 11 points. UCA shot 43 percent (23-of-53) for the game and posted a 38-31 advantage on the glass.
 
Little Rock forced nine first quarter turnovers to help itself to an early lead with Lee connecting on four shots and Harris-Smith dishing out four assists. Little Rock ended the period with an 8-0 run, stretching an 8-7 lead to 16-7 at the horn. The nine-point lead by the Trojans is their largest of the season. The rolls reversed in the second as the Trojans shot just 27 percent (3-of-11) while UCA started the quarter with an 8-0 run to pull within a point, took the lead midway through the quarter, then used a 7-0 run to go ahead 26-21 before the Trojans managed a shot at the halftime buzzer.
 
Marred by another tough offensive period (29 percent on 5-of-17 shooting), the Trojans fell behind by as many as eight (40-32) before Hudson connected on a layup to get Little Rock to within five points heading into the fourth quarter. Brooks tied the game at 47-47 with seven minutes to play and Wimbish-Gay hit a triple to put the Trojans ahead 51-47 at the 5:56 mark, but again the Sugar Bears countered, this time with seven straight points to regain the lead with four minutes to play. Little Rock got back within a point before UCA closed it out with four points at the free throw line.
 
Little Rock is home again next Sunday, Dec. 10 to host Auburn at the Jack Stephens Center for a 2 pm tip-off.