by Troy Falters Late in Close Loss to Arkansas State
| Matt Mays
TROY, Alabama – The Troy women’s basketball team led most of the way, but went cold down the stretch and fell to Arkansas State, 82-76, at Trojan Arena on Saturday afternoon.
Troy (11-7, 6-3) tied the game with 2:48 to go, 76-76, but from there did not score again as Arkansas State (13-7, 8-2) closed on a 6-0 run. The Trojans missed their last five shots and made just one of their last 10.
Ronita Garrett led the Trojans with 18 points and a season-high 18 rebounds, marking her Sun Belt-best 12th double-double of the year. Three other Trojans finished with double-figure scoring, including Caitlyn Ramirez (Seminole Nation of Oklahoma) who scored 11 points in her first career start.
Ramirez replaced Brianna Lancaster, who was injured on Thursday at UALR. The absence of Lancaster’s physicality inside helped Arkansas State to 28 second-chance points, a big difference in the game.
The Red Wolves had just one more offensive rebound than Troy, 20-19, but took better advantage of their opportunities as Troy had just 18 second-chance points.
“Us having our starting post player out, Bri Lancaster, I think hurt us,” Troy head coach Chanda Rigby said. “They really did a good job rebounding. Normally Bri is the person who stops that and we missed that tonight.”
Troy led by as many as seven points midway through the second half, but a balanced effort that saw six Red Wolves finish with double-digit scoring helped Arkansas State get back into the game.
The Red Wolves were led by Hanna Qedan’s 21 points, including a 4-of-10 showing from long range. Qedan made all four of Arkansas State’s 3-pointers. Aundrea Gamble, the Sun Belt’s leading scorer, struggled from the floor, going just 6-of-19, but finished with a double-double thanks to 13 points and 11 assists.
Ashley Beverly-Kelley and Lacey Buchanon were the other two Trojans in double figures with 10 points, apiece. Buchanon finished 5-of-9 with all five makes from mid-range, but she started 4-of-4.
Both teams were shooting over 50 percent for much of the second half, but only Arkansas State finished over that mark as they hit 20-of-38 in the second frame. Troy’s cold stretch dropped them to 43 percent in the second half (17-of-40) and overall (35-of-81). The Red Wolves finished at 45 percent (35-of-78) overall.
With the win, Arkansas State takes sole possession of second place in the Sun Belt standings.
The game was the fifth in 10 days for both teams, who will now take off until Thursday. That is when Troy will host ULM at 5:15 p.m. at Trojan Arena in a contest that will air on ESPN3. Troy defeated ULM earlier this season on the road, 82-77.
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