LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Little Rock used a dominant third-quarter performance and a stifling defensive effort to pull away from Eastern Illinois, earning a 55–47 Ohio Valley Conference victory Thursday night at the Jack Stephens Center.
"We were running our offense in the first half but not knocking down shots," head coach
Steve Wiedower said. "In the second half, we executed better offensively. Our defense was solid all night, and once the shots started falling, we were able to pull away."
The Trojans (9-8, 5-2 OVC) forced 22 Panther turnovers and seized control of the game by outscoring Eastern Illinois (3-16, 2-6 OVC) 19–11 in the third quarter, turning a halftime deficit into a comfortable lead they would not relinquish.
Little Rock struck first when
Mya Cotto finished a fast-break layup just 37 seconds into the game, but the opening quarter developed into a defensive grind.
Jordan Holman anchored the Trojans inside with a block midway through the period, while Cotto knocked down a three-pointer at the 4:01 mark to give Little Rock breathing room. Eastern Illinois answered at the buzzer, however, as Nyah Hardy converted a jumper with two seconds left, trimming the Trojan lead to 9–8 after one.
The Panthers briefly grabbed momentum in the second quarter, outscoring Little Rock 14–11. Ava Stoller's three-pointer less than a minute into the period gave Eastern Illinois the lead, and despite a Holman triple that tied the game at 15–15, the Panthers carried a 22–20 advantage into halftime following a late three-point play by Stoller.
Coming out of the break, the Trojans flipped the game on its head.
Holman opened the third quarter with a layup to tie the score, igniting a surge fueled by defensive stops and transition offense.
Alaina Payne drilled a three-pointer midway through the period to put Little Rock in front for good, and later found
Brenna Burk for a layup that pushed the lead to seven.
Destinee Salgado capped the quarter at the free-throw line as the Trojans took a 39–33 advantage into the final 10 minutes.
Eastern Illinois made one last push in the fourth, cutting the deficit to one on Tiny Lewis' three-pointer at the 5:17 mark. But Little Rock responded with poise. Cotto buried a timely three to restore breathing room, and Burk's jumper with 1:12 remaining sealed the win.
"We haven't been playing our best lately, but we stayed together and pushed through it in the second half," Burk said. "In the fourth quarter, everything really started to click."
Four Trojans finished in double figures, led by Payne and Cotto with 12 points apiece. Holman added 11 points, eight rebounds and two blocks, while Burk chipped in 10 points to round out a balanced offensive effort.
Little Rock returns to action Saturday, Jan. 17, hosting Western Illinois at 1 p.m. at the Jack Stephens Center.
