Trojans push OVC leader Tennessee Tech to edge before falling Thursday

With leading scorer Faith Lee out of the lineup Thursday, the Little Rock Women's Basketball team pushed conference leader Tennessee Tech to the brink before a pair of late foul calls allowed the visitors to pull away in the final seconds at the Jack Stephens Center. The Trojans fell by a 61-57 score, but fortunately didn't lose any footing in the Ohio Valley Conference standings, where Little Rock remains fourth with four games to play.
 
In a nip-and-tuck game that featured nine ties and seven lead changes, Little Rock (13-12, 11-5 OVC) took a 44-41 lead into the final frame but fell behind early in the fourth. Jordan Holman's crossover and layup tied the contest at 57-57 with just 11 seconds to play, but a controversial foul on the other end with just one second on the game clock led to a flurry of free throws by the Golden Eagles (19-5, 13-2), who iced the game at the line.
 
Sug Williams recorded a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double to lead the Trojans, Holman added 14 points and four boards, and Emerald Parker finished with 12 points and seven rebounds. Brenna Burk came off the bench to give Little Rock a spark, putting up nine points in just 15 minutes of court time.
 
Little Rock won the battle on the boards (42-38) and outscored Tennessee Tech by a 30-22 advantage in the paint. The Trojans also finished 16-of-19 (84.2 percent) at the free throw line, but made just 3-of-13 attempts from behind the arc (23.1 percent).
 
The Trojans conclude their home schedule next week with contests against Lindenwood on Thursday, Feb. 20 and Western Illinois on Saturday, Feb. 22. Little Rock finishes the regular season with two on the road before heading to the OVC Championships in Evansville, Ind. from March 5-8.