SEC WOMEN

Peak helps UA women move to 9-0

Arkansas guard Keira Peak, goes up for a shot Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013, during the second half of the game against Western Michigan at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. Arkansas beat Western Michigan, 61-46.

Keira Peak tied a season-high with 20 points and Jessica Jackson made a key three-pointer late as Arkansas outlasted Kansas to remain unbeaten on Wednesday night in Lawrence, Kan.

Jackson’s three-pointer came with 1:58 left to push the Razorbacks’ lead to six points, and it never dipped below that again in a 64-53 victory at Allen Fieldhouse.

“We’ve had a lot of quizzes and we aced all the quizzes. This was our first test,” Coach Tom Collen said. “I wouldn’t say we got an A-plus, but I would say we might have gotten an A or an A-minus. I think we made some mistakes, but we survived.”

Just before Jackson’s three-pointer, Chelsea Gardner’s layup pulled Kansas to within 54-51 with 2:13 left. But Jackson’s three made it 57-51 and sparked a 10-0 run that made it 64-51 with 34 seconds left. The Razorbacks also got a free throw from Peak, four from Calli Berna, and Jackson’s two free throws in the final minute capped the decisive stretch.

Jackson finished with 15 points, while Berna had 14 and Jhasmin Bowen had 10. The Razorbacks (9-0) got all of their scoring from their starters while beating a team that has reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two years.

Peak had 11 points by halftime to help Arkansas to a 31-30 lead. Gardner’s layup to start the second half gave Kansas (4-4) a 32-31 lead, but Jackson answered with a three to put Arkansas back ahead 34-32, and the teams traded the lead four more times before Arkansas went on a 13-5 run to go up 52-43 with 6:38 left.

The Jayhawks trimmed the lead with a CeCe Harper layup, a Natalie Knight jumper and two layups by Gardner to get within 54-51 before Jackson’s key three-pointer.

Harper led the Jayhawks, who lost their third consecutive game, with 19 points, while Gardner added 14.

Having played three consecutive road games in six days, Arkansas returns home for a five-game home stand to close out its nonconference schedule, beginning with Northwestern (La.) State (4-2) on Saturday. Tip off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Walton Arena.

SUN BELT WOMEN

Texas throttles UALR

AUSTIN, Texas - The UALR women’s basketball team was blown out by a former player Wednesday night.

The Trojans turned it over on their first three possessions and missed eight of their first nine shots to fall into a hole they never got out of in a 60-26 loss to Texas at the Frank Erwin Center.

Texas, coached by former UALR player Karen Aston, started the game on a 15-3 run, led 25-5 with 3:55 left in the first half and 30-10 at halftime while holding the Trojans to historic offensive struggles.

The 26 points were the fewest ever by UALR, and it was just the third time since the program was reintroduced in 1999 that it was held to fewer than 30 points in a game.

Taylor Ford’s three-point play got the Trojans (3-3) within 6-3 four minutes into the game, but the Trojans then missed six consecutive shots as the Longhorns took a 15-5 lead. UALR then missed eight shots in a row as Texas extended its lead to 25-5.

The Trojans, who entered shooting 40.6 percent from the floor, were held to 16.7 percent (4 of 24) in the first half and things didn’t get much better in the second.

Texas (6-2) started the second half on a 9-0 run to take a 39-10 lead and its biggest advantage was 60-24 late in the game.

Carollee Dillard led UALR with 10 points and Ford had eight, but nobody else had more than Kiera Clark’s five.

Taylor Gault, who entered averaging a team-best 15.6 points, was held scoreless on 0-for-9 shooting. It was just the third time in 72 career games she failed to score and the first time when playing more than nine minutes. UALR shot 19.2 percent (10 of 52) for the game.

Texas got scoring from 10 different players, including Kelsey Lang and Chassidy Fussel, who each had 12. Nneka Enemkpali added 11 and the Longhorns shot 43.1 percent from the floor.

SWAC WOMEN

Raiders hold off Lions

LUBBOCK, Texas - Arkansas-Pine Bluff was held scoreless for the first three minutes of the second half as it saw a close game slip away during a 58-50 loss to Texas Tech on Wednesday at United Spirit Arena.

The Lady Lions were within 25-22 at halftime, but missed their first seven shots as Texas Tech (4-3) took a 30-22 lead. Cassidy Wright ended the drought with a jumper to get within 30-24, but UAPB (1-6) later had a 41/2-minute scoreless streak and didn’t get back within six points until Wright’s three-pointer made it 56-50 with 1:28 left.

UAPB missed its final three shots to prevent it from getting any closer in a game it only led once.

Wright finished with a team-high 16 points, while Christina Lasane added 11.

Amber Battle led Texas Tech with 17 points.

Sports, Pages 21 on 12/05/2013