MARTIN, Tenn. — Little Rock leaned on a dominant rebounding performance and a lockdown fourth quarter to earn a 68-53 Ohio Valley Conference road victory over UT Martin on Tuesday night at the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center.
The Trojans (11-11, 7-5 OVC) controlled the glass throughout the night, outrebounding the Skyhawks 47-27, and put the game away by holding UT Martin to just nine points in the final period. The win moves Little Rock into a tie for fifth with the Skyhawks in the conference standings and continues the Trojans' recent upward momentum.
Little Rock's offense was led by
Brenna Burk, who scored a game-high 17 points while knocking down five three-pointers, a career high, and adding three assists.
Jordan Holman followed with a strong all-around effort, finishing with 16 points, six assists and nine rebounds, while
Alaina Payne contributed 11 points, eight rebounds and three assists in the paint.
Destinee Salgado anchored the interior defensively, pulling down a game-high 10 rebounds to go with seven points and a steal.
"We were getting good shots and knocking them down," Burk said. "We were getting open and taking advantage of that."
The game was originally scheduled for Jan. 24 but was postponed due to a winter storm that affected the region. After playing at Tennessee Tech on Saturday, Little Rock returned to Arkansas before making the trip to Martin on the day of the game — a turnaround that head coach
Steve Wiedower felt helped sharpen the team's focus.
"We may need to make the trip on the same day every game," Wiedower said with a laugh. "We didn't have any lag and were really focused from the beginning. I thought our kids responded really well. We competed, rebounded at a high level and defended when it mattered most."
Little Rock set the tone early, taking a 16-13 lead after the first quarter behind perimeter shooting and disciplined ball movement. The Trojans maintained a narrow advantage into halftime as Holman orchestrated the offense and Burk continued to stretch the defense from deep.
The Trojans created breathing room in the third quarter, outscoring UT Martin 18-14 as Payne and Salgado controlled the paint on both ends of the floor. A late three-pointer by Holman extended the lead heading into the fourth, setting the stage for Little Rock's defensive stand.
The final quarter belonged to the Trojans. Little Rock limited UT Martin's scoring opportunities, won the rebounding battle on both ends, and outscored the Skyhawks 18-9 to close out the contest. Salgado's work on the glass helped eliminate second-chance points, while Burk and Holman combined to keep the offense steady down the stretch.
"We're starting to see growth," Wiedower said. "Our rebounding was huge, and when we defend like that in the fourth quarter, it gives us a chance every night."
Little Rock returns home Thursday, Feb. 5, to host Lindenwood at the Jack Stephens Center. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m.
