LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Interstat) — Jordan Holman scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds Thursday as the Arkansas-Little Rock women defeated Tennessee Tech 51-44 at Jack Stephens Center. The Trojans used a strong defensive second half, holding the Golden Eagles to five points in the third quarter, to secure the victory. Holman, a 5-foot-10 guard from Hugo, Oklahoma, added a block in 31 minutes for her first double-double of the season. Destinee Salgado added 13 points and 12 rebounds for Arkansas-Little Rock, which improved to 6-7. Reagan Hurst led Tennessee Tech with 16 points. The Golden Eagles, who entered with a 10-1 record, shot poorly from the field and fell to 10-2. The teams are scheduled to meet again Jan. 31 in Cookeville, Tennessee.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Interstat) — In a defensive struggle defined by scoring droughts and critical second-half execution, the Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans grinded out a 51-44 victory over the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game on Thursday at Jack Stephens Center. The contest, which saw both teams combine for a sub-30% shooting performance from the floor, was ultimately decided by a decisive third-quarter surge from the home team and a dominant double-double from Jordan Holman. Tennessee Tech, entering the game with a 10-1 record and an 80.4% win probability according to National Statistical’s ELO system, started strong. The Golden Eagles led 14-12 after the first quarter and extended their advantage to 27-24 at halftime, paced by Reagan Hurst’s 10 first-half points. Arkansas-Little Rock, meanwhile, relied on its interior presence, with Holman and Destinee Salgado controlling the glass to keep the Trojans within striking distance despite offensive inefficiency. The game’s pivotal shift came immediately after halftime. Arkansas-Little Rock’s defense locked down, holding Tennessee Tech to a mere five points in the third quarter on 2-of-16 shooting. The Golden Eagles endured a scoring drought of over six minutes, allowing the Trojans to seize control. Fueling the turnaround was Holman, a 5-foot-10 guard from Hugo, Oklahoma. She scored eight of her game-high 20 points in the third period, including a driving layup that capped a 10-0 run and gave the Trojans a 34-29 lead they would not relinquish. Her all-around performance included 11 rebounds and a blocked shot over 31 minutes. “We knew we had to come out with more energy in the second half,” Holman’s play seemed to say, as the Trojans outscored Tech 14-5 in the quarter to take a 38-32 lead into the final frame. Tennessee Tech fought to close the gap in the fourth quarter, pulling within 42-39 on a Cam Mathews 3-pointer with 5:39 remaining. However, the Golden Eagles could not sustain a rally, as their shooting woes persisted. They finished the game shooting 27% from the field and missed 15 of their 18 attempts from 3-point range. Arkansas-Little Rock’s lead never dipped below three points in the final minutes. Key plays down the stretch sealed the win: a Salgado layup off a Brenna Burk assist pushed the lead to 46-42 with 1:59 left, and after a Tech turnover, Mya Cotto found Salgado again for another basket to make it 48-44 with 37 seconds remaining. Cotto and Holman then combined to hit three of four free throws in the final half-minute to secure the seven-point margin. Salgado complemented Holman perfectly, recording a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Mya Cotto added eight points and two assists, while Alaina Payne contributed eight rebounds and three assists for the Trojans. For Tennessee Tech, Reagan Hurst led the way with 16 points, four rebounds and two blocks. Chloe Larry added nine points, but the Golden Eagles’ offense, which averaged over 70 points per game coming in, was held to a season-low output. LaReesha Cawthorn provided a boost off the bench with seven rebounds. The win improves Arkansas-Little Rock’s record to 6-7, providing a significant momentum boost as they head into conference play. The Trojans host Tennessee State on Saturday. The loss snaps a four-game winning streak for Tennessee Tech, which falls to 10-2. The Golden Eagles will look to regroup on the road, traveling to face Eastern Illinois next Thursday. The most important sequence of the game was Arkansas-Little Rock’s third-quarter defensive stand. Holding a potent Tennessee Tech offense to just five points over ten minutes completely altered the game’s trajectory. That stretch, powered by Holman’s scoring and the team’s collective rebounding effort, transformed a halftime deficit into a lead that provided just enough cushion to withstand Tech’s late push in a low-scoring affair.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Interstat) — A surging Tennessee Tech women’s basketball team will put its 9-1 record on the line Thursday when it visits the Jack Stephens Center to face Arkansas-Little Rock. The Golden Eagles, winners of five straight, will be tested on the road by the Trojans (5-7) to open the new year. Tipoff is set for Jan. 1, 2026. Tennessee Tech has been dominant during its win streak, averaging 79.4 points per game while allowing just 60.2. Their lone loss came in a 44-85 road defeat to Southern California on Nov. 25. Since then, the Golden Eagles have relied on balanced scoring and the standout play of guard Reghan Grimes. Grimes is coming off a 19-point, 5-assist performance in a 74-62 win over Tennessee-Martin on Dec. 20. She has been a consistent force, scoring 21 or more points in three of her last five games, including a 21-point, 13-rebound double-double against Samford on Dec. 4. Arkansas-Little Rock seeks consistency after a mixed non-conference slate. The Trojans are 3-2 at home this season, most recently defeating Division III Hendrix 73-52 on Dec. 22. Guard Jordan Holman leads the team, averaging 16.8 points over her last five contests. She scored 25 points in a road win at Morehead State on Dec. 16 but was held to 12 in a 40-57 loss at Southern Indiana two days later. The Trojans’ schedule has been challenging, with road losses to power-conference opponents Oklahoma and Arkansas by wide margins. They will need to contain Tennessee Tech’s offensive rhythm, which features multiple threats beyond Grimes. In the win over Tennessee-Martin, Cam Mathews also scored 19 points and Chloe Larry added 14. This game marks the first of two regular-season meetings between the programs. They are scheduled to meet again in Cookeville, Tennessee, on Jan. 31. Following this contest, Arkansas-Little Rock will host Tennessee State on Saturday. Tennessee Tech continues its road swing at Eastern Illinois on Jan. 8.