Little Rock Shuts Down SIUE in First Half, Coasts to 76-59 Victory

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Tia Harvey tied a career-high with 19 points and was one of four Little Rock players in double figures as the Trojans used a big first half advantage to propel themselves to a 76-59 victory Saturday.
 
Leading all scorers, Harvey went 9-for-15 from the field with five rebounds and five assists in the win while Sali Kourouma recorded her first double-double of the season, notching 10 points and 10 rebounds.
 
The Trojans (14-9, 11-1 Ohio Valley) led 15-10 after the first period but outpaced the Cougars 25-5 in the second quarter to take a 40-15 lead into halftime. SIUE (6-17, 5-7) shot just 13% in the first half with the Trojans limiting them to just 1-for-18 (5.6%) from the field in the second quarter.
 
The Cougars rebounded in the second half as they shot over 38% but Little Rock, which shot 54% in the game, hit over 57% of their shots over the final 20 minutes.
 
Jayla Brooks, who scored a career-high 15 points, netted nine of those in the second half. Angelique Francis added 11 points and five rebounds while Nikki Metcalfe scored six points and grabbed four rebounds.
 
Little Rock shot a season-best 53.8% from the field, connecting on 28 of 52 attempts, and didn't shoot under 50% in the final three quarters.
 
With its largest halftime lead of the year, the Trojans seemed to coast some in the second half while SIUE came out determined to get back in the game. The Cougars connected on four treys in the third quarter and shot 56.3 percent in the frame but could only whittle Little Rock's 25-point halftime advantage to 16.
 
SIUE was led by Macy Silvey's 14 points while Olivia Clayton scored 10. Ajulu Thatha, who entered the contest averaging 13.1 points per game and over 22 points over her past three games, was held to single digits for the first time since Jan. 19 and for just the third time in the past 13 games.
 
Little Rock remains at home next Thursday as the Trojans host Morehead State at 11:30 a.m. in the program's annual School Day game.
 
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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