BURN THE HORSE
UALR dropped to 3-4 on the season with a 48-47 loss to Southern Miss on Saturday night in Hattiesburg, Miss.Much like Thursday's loss at Oklahoma State, UALR led this game almost all the way. But the Trojans couldn't hold on the final minutes.
Senior guard Shanika Butler, who was playing with a sprained ankle on Thursday, did not play on Saturday. And senior forward Chastity Reed, UALR's all-time leading scorer and rebounder, was removed from the game in the first half and she did not return. At that point, Reed had 8 points on 4 of 9 shooting.
UALR looked like it would hold on for victory anyway. The Trojans raced to a 12-point lead midway through the second half. But Southern Miss closed the game on a 17-4 run to take the lead 48-47 with 2:37 left.
Both teams were scoreless in the closing minutes as UALR squandered its chances. UALR turned the ball over on two of its final three possessions.
Junior Marian Kursh and sophomore Janette Merriex led UALR with 10 points apiece.
Without Butler, UALR struggled against Southern Miss' press with 27 turnovers.
Reed did not start a game against Louisiana Tech and was not permitted to dress out for a game last week against Montana State. She didn't start on Thursday against Oklahoma State, but played extended minutes. And she got the start on Saturday before being yanked in the first half. She played until the 8:02 mark of the first half when she was subbed out. She finished with 8 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 4 turnovers.
UALR was also 3-4 last season before turning its season around in mid-December.
