MONROE, La. — Krystan Vornes registered a double-double, leading all players with 21 points and 13 rebounds, as Little Rock won its fifth-straight game in a 66-46 victory at ULM Sunday afternoon.
The Trojans (13-7, 9-4 Sun Belt) now are even with UT Arlington (11-6, 9-4) for the pivotal second place position in the West Division, one that comes with a first-round bye in the upcoming Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
Vornes, who only had six points at halftime, led the Maroon and Silver to pull away in the third quarter as Little Rock put the game out of reach for ULM (2-17, 0-13). Teal Battle added 18 points while Tia Harvey quietly compiled 10 points.
The Trojans shot an impressive 52% from the field, but well out-paced the home-standing Warhawks with a 64% clip in the second half. ULM shot just 37% from the field in the game as the Warhawks dropped their 19th consecutive game in the series to Little Rock.
Initially it was ULM that was hot, opening the game on a 9-3 run before Little Rock rattled off 12 straight points and never conceded the lead again. The Trojans began to pull away in the second quarter, taking a 10-point lead into halftime. Apparently, the break was all they needed to find the next year.
Little Rock limited ULM to just 4 of 12 shooting in the third quarter as the Trojans extended their lead to a 52-33 advantage entering the final quarter of play. That was when Vornes established herself, scoring nine points on 4-for-4 shooting in the third quarter while grabbing three rebounds.
The Trojans limited ULM on the glass, posting a 36-21 rebound advantage and grabbing eight steals to ULM’s five.
More than just for steals, eight seemed to be the lucky number for Little Rock within the game. Vornes registered her eighth double-double of the season, Angelique Francis tied a career-high with eight rebounds and Mayra Caicedo dished out eight assists.
Kierra Brimzy led ULM with 16 points while Diamond Brooks added 12 points. Little Rock held ULM to 50 points or less for the 14th straight game in the series, one that Little Rock now leads 32-3.
The two teams close out their four-game regular season series on Monday with a 1 p.m. tip-off at Fant-Ewing Coliseum in Monroe.
