FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Trojans showed stretches of sharp execution and confident shot-making on Thursday night, but Arkansas' size on the boards proved decisive as the Trojans fell 96–57 at Bud Walton Arena. Little Rock forced 17 turnovers and turned them into 14 points, giving the Trojans several momentum-building bursts against a Razorback team off to a strong start.
"We tried to focus on winning the fourth quarter," Little Rock head coach
Steve Wiedower said. "I actually thought we did, but they ended up outscoring us by two, 24–22. We took it one possession at a time, and I thought we handled the press much better. That's something we've really been working on. Now we need to get back to work this week and keep improving."
The Trojans (1-3) struck first when
Alaina Payne knocked down a jumper, and the junior guard continued to steady the offense throughout the night, finishing with 6 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. After Arkansas answered, Little Rock battled back behind the shooting of
Jordan Holman, who provided the early spark by drilling two first-quarter three-pointers, including a deep right-wing triple assisted by Payne at the 4:06 mark. Holman went on to lead the Trojans with 14 points, adding 3 rebounds and a steal while keeping Little Rock within reach during the opening quarter.
Arkansas (5-1) used its length and rebounding to fuel a late first-quarter run, but Little Rock continued to compete defensively.
Destinee Salgado contributed energy on both ends, finishing with 5 points, 2 steals and 2 assists, while helping the Trojans disrupt passing lanes and push transition opportunities. Payne added a jumper late in the half, but Arkansas' 23–5 rebounding margin in the second quarter allowed the Razorbacks to take a 48–18 lead into the break.
Little Rock responded with a strong third quarter behind sophomore sharpshooter
Brenna Burk, who caught fire from long range. Burk drilled two threes in the third period alone and finished with 12 points on four made three-pointers, matching the best perimeter performance of her young career.
Lidia Belmonte Hurtado also sparked the Trojans with a pair of scores in the paint and later added a three-pointer in the fourth, giving her a productive offensive night as Little Rock continued to attack despite the deficit.
Burk stayed hot in the final quarter with two more threes, and Belmonte Hurtado's late triple capped a solid fourth quarter for the Trojans. Payne continued to set the table with her four assists, while Holman and Burk provided the bulk of Little Rock's scoring punch. Arkansas maintained control with inside scoring from its frontcourt, but the Trojans' outside shooting and ball pressure produced several encouraging stretches as the young roster continues to develop against elite opposition.
Little Rock returns to action next week, traveling west to face Arizona State at 11:30 a.m., Friday, Nov. 28 at noon at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe.
