Tulsa
3-6,0-0AAC
Little Rock
2-6,0-0Sun Belt
Tulsa Can’t Overcome Third Quarter Troubles, Falls to Little Rock 63-51
12/7/2019 4:05:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Tulsa women's basketball team couldn't overcome their third quarter troubles and dropped a 63-51 decision to Little Rock on Saturday afternoon at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock, Ark. TU fell to 3-6 on the season, while LR moved to 2-6 overall.
"We're just struggling to generate points," Head Coach Matilda Mossman said. "Everyone knows Kendrian is going to go score so they did a good job of doubling her, but she still got double figures and to the free throw line, she just had to work really hard to get there. I am also really proud of Addison. She played the Three all last year and is a Four this year. We felt like we needed to get her on the floor because she was the only other person scoring so we put her in and she played the Three. Ella did a great job at the Four spot, but we were struggling against their bigger sized lineup and this gave us a bigger lineup."
Addison Richards scored a career-high 19 points, including a perfect 7-7 from the free throw line, while Kendrian Elliott also posted 19 points. Elliott pulled down a team-best eight rebounds, while Alexis Gaulden had three assists, and Gaulden, Rebecca Lescay and Morgan Brady all had two steals.
Tulsa shot a solid 46-percent from the field in the first quarter, but with their 20-percent shooting percentage in the third frame was just 33-percent in the contest compared to Little Rock's 45-percent.
The Trojans led by as many as seven points twice in the first quarter, including a 16-9 mark at 3:09 and an 18-11 mark with 1:53 left in the period. TU battled back to pull within one, 18-17, at the end of the quarter.
Richards gave TU their first lead of the contest on a layup at the 9:38 mark of the second frame, 19-18. There were another five lead changes and a total of three tied scores in the period, but Little Rock took a 31-30 advantage into the break.
LR climbed to an 11-point lead, 41-30, on a 10-0 run at the 6:20 mark of the third quarter, as the Golden Hurricane was held scoreless in the frame until Richards netted a layup at the 5:58 mark. The Trojans inched out to a 15-point advantage to end the frame up 52-37. TU shot a dismal 20-percent in the quarter compared to LR's 53-percent.
TU started the fourth quarter with a 6-0 run, cutting their deficit to nine (52-43) and forcing LR to take a timeout. The Golden Hurricane outscored the Trojans, 14-11, in the final frame, but couldn't overcome their third-quarter struggles.
Kyra Collier had 19 points for Little Rock, while Teal Battle added 14 and Krystan Vornes posted 13. Collier and Nicole Hemphill both had eight rebounds.
Tulsa will return to action on Wednesday, December 11 at Arkansas. Game time is set for 6:00 pm in Fayetteville, Ark.
