Little Rock erased a five-point fourth quarter deficit Thursday and outscored Lindenwood by 10 in the pivotal period to grind out a tough 50-45 conference win at the Jack Stephens Center in front of a loud and rowdy School Day crowd.
Faith Lee scored 18 of her game-high 24 points in the second half to jumpstart a Trojan offense that had failed to get off the ground before halftime.
Little Rock (6-12, 5-2 OVC) also had trouble finding a rhythm offensively due to the absence of point guard
Jaiyah Harris-Smith, but the Trojans were able to do just enough to overcome a gritty Lions squad. Lindenwood (3-14, 1-6 OVC) shot just 38.8 percent from the floor, including 4-of-12 (33.3 percent in the deciding fourth period. The Lions also made just 2-of-8 free throws and 5-of-17 from behind the arc. Ellie Brueggemann and Makayla Wallace each had 12 to lead Lindenwood.
Lee made 10 of her 21 shots to get to 24 points and grabbed five rebounds.
Jayla Brooks finished with 10 points and four rebounds while playing in the point guard position. Four others had four points each, including
Leilani Wimbish-Gay, who also had six rebounds and four steals.
Mesi Triplett grabbed six boards and blocked a pair of shots, helping the Trojans earn their first win of the season when trailing after three periods. Little Rock finished 20-of-42 from the floor (47.6 percent).
The teams combined for 12 lead changes and five ties and the largest lead for both was five points. Neither team went on a scoring run greater than seven points.
Both teams started slowly, and the Trojans went 4 ½ minutes in the first quarter between their first and second made shots. The two sides combined to make just 6-of-19 shots and each team turned the ball over five times in the first 10 minutes. Lindenwood put together a 7-0 tun in the second, turning a three-point Little Rock lead into a 14-10 advantage for the visitors, with the Trojans committing three turnovers during that span. Each side traded shots for the remainder of the half and the Lions took a 22-19 lead into intermission. Brueggemann had nine of her 12 in the first half.
The third period featured more back-and-forth, and the Trojans led by two early on before Lindenwood upped its advantage to five points late and carried that lead into the final frame. Little Rock took a one-point lead with 6:09 to play and the lead would change hands four more times before the Trojans went ahead for good on a jumper by Lee with 2:13 to play. Little Rock finished off a 6-0 run to go in front 48-43 and Triplett iced the game with a pair of free throws.
Winners of four of their last five and 6-2 in their last eight, the Trojans are home again Saturday to host Southeast Missouri at 1 pm in the Jack Stephens Center. SEMO (6-11, 3-3 OVC) is playing at UT Martin tonight and is just 1-8 on the road.
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