- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

DeGray named Sun Belt Athlete of the Year

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 08 Oct 2019 13:25:11 +0000

University of Arkansas at Little Rock forward Ronjanae DeGray, a two-time first team all-conference honoree, was named the Sun Belt Conference’s 2018-19 Athlete of the Year Oct. 7 as part of the league’s annual honors celebration event in New Orleans. The Sun Belt Athlete of the Year award, which annually recognizes one female and one male student-athlete, is the highest individual honor given and based on athletic performance, academic success, outstanding leadership, and character. DeGray is the third female student-athlete from Little Rock to earn the honor and fifth overall, joining Rashad Jones-Jennings (2006-07), Chastity Reed (2010-11), Solomon Bozeman (2010-11), and Edina Begic (2014-15). She was honored alongside Georgia Southern men’s golfer Steven Fisk. “On behalf of the conference, I want to congratulate Ronjanae and Steven on receiving this honor. They epitomize what being a Sun Belt student-athlete is all about,” said Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill. DeGray led Little Rock to a share of the 2018-19 Sun Belt regular-season title and conference tournament title. The two-time, All-Sun Belt first-team selection averaged a team-leading 14.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. DeGray capped her career as a member of the school’s 1,000-point club (1,234 points) and all-time leader in field goal percentage (.485) and free throw percentage (.775). “I am very proud of the accomplishments Ronjanae has earned and this is certainly a great accomplishment for her and her team,” said Little Rock women’s basketball head coach��Joe Foley. “Ronjanae stood out as an enthusiastic, goal-oriented basketball player who was dedicated to the game and always remained very positive. It was through that hard work and dedication that she improved and rose to the top of the Sun Belt. This is a great honor for her and her teammates who helped her achieve so much. She was and continues to be a great ambassador for our program and our school.” In her four years playing for the Trojans, the Odessa, Texas, native was a part of four postseason tournament appearances – two NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship and two Postseason WNIT. Little Rock was also recognized during the festivities as part of the Graduation Achievement Awards as an athletic department that achieved a student-athlete graduation rate higher than the general body.

DeGray named Division I-AAA ADA Scholar-Athlete

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 19:43:30 +0000

Little Rock senior Ronjanae DeGray��has been named one of 10 selections to the Division I-AAA Athletic Director’s Association (ADA) 17th annual Scholar-Athlete team, announced today by the organization.�� DeGray, the 2018-19 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, played a pivotal role in helping Little Rock to a share of the conference regular season title with a 15-3 mark in Sun Belt play as well as leading the Trojans to the Sun Belt tournament title and the program’s sixth NCAA tournament appearance. The Odessa, Texas native averaged 14.5 points and 5.1 rebounds for Little Rock, finishing the year with 464 and 223 rebounds, both of which were just shy of cracking the program’s all-time top-10 for points in a season. She was named the Sun Belt’s Player of the Week twice and was named to the 2019 Sun Belt All-Tournament team. For her career, DeGray was a part of 65 Sun Belt Conference wins, joined by her sister Raeyana DeGray��for the most in program history. Ronjane closes out her storied Trojan career ranking eighth all-time in Trojan history in both points (1,234) and rebounds (589) while sitting fifth all-time in offensive rebounds (219). In addition to her abilities on the court, DeGray has been just as efficient off as well. She boasts a 3.42 GPA, majoring in special education, and has been active in a number of community and campus-wide initiatives. To be eligible for the team, each of the nominees is required to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale in undergraduate study and have been a starter or important reserve with legitimate athletics credentials. Nominees must have participated in at least 50 percent of the team’s games during the 2018-19 season. The team members were selected by a committee consisting of Division I-AAA athletic directors from across the country.

Outstanding Women of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock: Ronjanae and Raeyana DeGray

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 19:45:05 +0000

In honor of Women’s History Month, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is featuring stories about the “Outstanding Women of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” faculty, staff, students, and alumni who are serving as leaders and making a difference for the university and their communities. �� Twin sisters and have made a name for themselves as star players on the University of Arkansas at Little Rock women’s basketball team.�� After finishing their fourth and final season at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, the student-athletes are set to graduate in May and ready to take the next step in life. Not only is Ronjanae the Sun Belt Conference’s Co-Player of the Year, the senior forward is also a future educator who interns as a special-education teacher at Bale Elementary School. “Special education has been a passion of mine since high school. I enjoy helping students that have difficulties that most students have not had,” she said. “I’m reminded every day that life is precious.” Some of Ronjanae’s students saw her in action in March when they took a school field trip to the Jack Stephens Center to watch the Trojans play. “The students came to the locker room and took pictures and got to meet the other players,” she said. “The next day in school, they were all excited and talking about the game.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock women’s basketball player Ronjanae DeGray (right) battles against South Alabama. Photo by Benjamin Krain.

Raeyana will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication and minor in marketing. After graduation, she plans to stay in the sports world by working as a sports analyst. “I’ve always been into sports, and I love to talk about sports and watch sports,” she said. “Being a student-athlete, I thought it would be fun to stay involved in sports in a different way.” The DeGrays are finishing their basketball careers on an incredible season. The Trojans ended the season as Sun Belt Conference champions, finishing atop the conference and making an NCAA Tournament appearance for the second straight season. The sisters are the only two of the Trojans’ four seniors who played during all four seasons at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “During my freshman year, I saw the boys go to the NCAA tournament and saw how fun it was for them,” Raeyana said. “Being able to experience how they felt when they went to the NCAA tournament as a junior and senior was the most memorable experience for me at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.” The DeGrays are the daughters of Ronald DeGray and Donelle Harris and have a younger brother, Ronald, and a younger sister,��Ramiyah. Since their mother worked in corrections, the family often traveled for her work, and the sisters lived in Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, Colorado, and Tennessee while growing up. Both sisters identify their mother and grandmothers as the women they look up to the most. “My mom and my grandmothers have shown me that no matter what your circumstances are, it’s always your job as a woman to get the job done without making any excuses,” Raeyana said. “A lot of the women in my family are very strong, especially my mother and grandmothers,” Ronjanae added. “They are in the church constantly. When the odds are stacked against you, they always lean on God, and I do that because of the example they have given me all my life.” The DeGrays have been playing basketball with their family since they were kids and said a love of basketball runs in their blood. “We started playing basketball competitively when we were in the fourth grade,” Ronjanae said. “Basketball is in my family. Our parents played basketball at the community college where they met, and our mother played at the University of Texas at San Antonio.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock forward Raeyana DeGray is surrounded by Texas State defenders during the Trojan’s game at the Jack Stephens Center. Photo by Benjamin Krain.

While some people find the idea of playing basketball at the college level with your twin sister interesting, the sisters say it’s not as exciting as people might think. “We’ve been playing together pretty much all our lives,” Raeyana said. “It’s cool to have someone to share your experiences with, but it’s like having another teammate you go home to.” As student-athletes, the DeGrays and their teammates are active volunteers who give back to the community that supports Little Rock’s Team. “We do a lot of volunteering with children,” Raeyana said. “We play basketball with children with special needs. We’ve visited the Arkansas School for the Deaf. Giving back to our community lets people know that we appreciate their support and that we are not just people with jerseys running up and down the court. We appreciate the community!”

Women’s basketball team picked first in Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Preseason Poll

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 26 Oct 2018 14:51:36 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock women’s basketball team was picked first in the 2018-19 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Preseason Poll, receiving eight first-place votes.�� Little Rock senior��was named Preseason Sun Belt Player of the Year, in addition to being selected to the conference’s First Team. Teammate��was elected to the All-Sun Belt Third Team as voted on by the conference’s coaches. DeGray, coming off a season where she averaged 13.8 points, 5.6 boards, and .508 shooting from the floor, is the returning statistical leader for numerous categories. The Odessa, Texas, native was a Sun Belt Conference First Team selection for the regular season and conference tournament, started 11 contests and appeared in 32 games. She tallied her first career double-double by tying her season high with 23 points while putting up a career-high 13 rebounds in the Trojans’ overtime win at Louisiana on March 3. Lasker saw the most playing time out of any freshman last season. She started 24 games and was one of only four Trojans to appear in all 33 contests. She drained a freshman record-setting 57 three-pointers, the sixth most in a single season, and dished out the second most assists, 89. Against Memphis, Lasker registered 21 points in her first collegiate game, a program record for a freshman debut Little Rock’s Team, coming off its fifth NCAA tournament appearance in program history, starts the season Nov. 9 at Louisiana Tech and then hosts FAU at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 14 in the Jack Stephens Center. New season tickets and renewals are still being accepted and can be ordered by calling the Trojan ticket office at 565-8257. Fans can also purchase tickets by visiting��.

Little Rock to face Florida State in first round of NCAA tournament

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 16:43:22 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock women’s basketball team earned a No. 14 seed in the 2018 NCAA Tournament and will face No. 3 seed Florida State in the first round of the tournament at 10 a.m. (CT) Saturday, March 17, in Tallahassee, Florida. The matchup will air on ESPN2.�� Tickets for Little Rock’s game against Florida State are on sale now via the Florida State Ticket Office. Single-session tickets are available for $20, and all-session tickets are available for $30. To purchase, call 888-FSU-NOLE or . If you are not able to make it to Tallahassee, there will be a watch party in the Legends Room at the Jack Stephens Center on Saturday morning. Doors will open at 9:30 a.m. For more information, contact Ryan Miller at 501-569-3411 or romiller@ualr.edu. If Little Rock advances to the second round of the tournament, the Trojans will play the winner of the game with No. 6 University of South Florida and No. 11 Buffalo on Monday. This will be Little Rock’s fifth trip to the NCAA Tournament. Little Rock has posted two NCAA Tournament victories over the years with the last coming as the No. 11 seed against No. 6 seed Texas A&M in 2015 when it knocked off the Aggies 69-60. Little Rock then fell 57-54 to No. 3 seed Arizona State in the second round. Prior to that, Little Rock’s first NCAA Tournament victory came in 2010 when the team was an at-large bid to the tournament. As a No. 11 seed that season, the Trojans defeated No. 6 seed Georgia Tech in the first round before losing to No. 3 seed Oklahoma in the second round on the Sooners’ home court. Little Rock earned its automatic bid to this year’s NCAA Tournament when it claimed the Sun Belt Tournament Championship on March 10. The Trojans survived a strong second-half surge by Texas State to win its fourth league tournament with a final score of 54-53. and ��earned All-Tournament Team honors for their performance throughout the tournament.

Trojan women win Sun Belt Tournament Championship

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 17:10:23 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock women’s basketball punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament as it won the Sun Belt Tournament Championship for the fourth time with a 54-53 victory over No. 2 Texas State on Sunday night at Lakefront Arena.�� The victory sends Little Rock to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in program history and for the first time since 2015. This is the third time that Little Rock has won the regular-season championship and tournament championship in the same season. Monique Townson was the star for the Trojans (23-9) with a team-high 17 points and eight rebounds in 40 minutes. She finished 7-for-13 from the field and 3-for-4 from three. Tori Lasker had nine points to go along with five rebounds and four assists while knocking down three three-pointers. Sisters Raeyana and Ronjanae DeGray each tallied eight points. Ronjanae had eight rebounds while Raeyana tallied five. Little Rock was 21-for-54 (38.9 percent) from the field, 6-for-17 (35.3 percent) from three and a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe. Townson and Ronjanae DeGray earned All-Tournament Team honors for their performance throughout the tournament. The Bobcats (23-9) had three players in double figures as Tournament MVP Taeler Deer led the game with 20 points and eight assists. Toshua Leavitt tallied 11 points with three steals, and Brooke Holle had 10 points with seven rebounds. Texas State shot 35.2 percent (19-for-54) from the field, 29.4 percent (5-for-17) from three and 90.9 percent (10-for-11) from the foul line. As it entered the fourth quarter with an 11-point lead, Little Rock’s offensive struggles from the third quarter carried over while Texas State’s offense continued to flourish. After Ronjanae DeGray made a jumper to put Little Rock up by 13 at the beginning quarter, it was all Texas State from there as the Bobcats went on a 13-0 run from 7:42 to 4:10. Yanina Inkina stopped the bleeding with a jumper, but Leavitt hit a three right after to give Texas State the 53-52 lead. The Trojans’ defense finally stepped up in the final three minutes of action as it didn’t allow a single Bobcat point. The lead returned to Little Rock at the 2:30 mark as Townson put up the go-ahead layup. With Little Rock up 54-53, both sides missed three shots each in the final two minutes. With two seconds remaining in the game, Deer missed the go-ahead layup by mere inches. With 0.2 seconds left and Little Rock inbounding, the Trojans threw the ball into play off the Texas State defender’s leg to run off the clock and win the championship. Texas State came out of the locker room ready to play in the third quarter as it outscored Little Rock 17-10 after shooting 58.3 percent (7-for-12). The Trojans shot just 21.4 percent (3-for-14) in the period. The Bobcats’ biggest run of the quarter occurred with 5:53 left in the period as Texas State went on a 9-0 run. The Trojans ended the first half with an 18-point lead over the Bobcats after shooting 53.6 percent (15-for-28) in the first 20 minutes. Townson ended the half with a game-high 12 points as she went 5-for-5 from the field and 2-for-2 from beyond the arc. Little Rock held Texas State to 20 percent (6-for-30) in the half and kept the Bobcats’ three-point shooting at bay as they shot just 1-for-10. Up 33-20, Little Rock ended the half on a 5-0 thanks to two free throws by Keys and a layup and a free throw by Raeyana DeGray. Little Rock got off to a scorching start as it led Texas State 20-7 after 10 minutes of play. Townson was sensational as she started the game 4-for-4 with one three-pointer and two rebounds. Little Rock shot 60 percent (9-for-15) for the period while holding Texas State to 17.6 percent (3-for-17). The Trojans were dominant on the boards as they outrebounded the Bobcats 13-7. Little Rock had two runs of seven points each in the period and finished the quarter on a 14-2 run. Keanna Keys finished with six points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block. Inkina ended up with six points, and Terrion Moore tallied four assists and four rebounds. Little Rock had a 41-27 advantage in rebounds and a 13-12 advantage in assists. The Trojans led for just over 37 minutes while the Bobcats led for just under two minutes. Little Rock will now prepare for the NCAA Selection Show on Monday at 6 p.m. in the Legends Room of the Jack Stephens Center. Festivities are set to begin at 5:30 p.m.

Trojans Advance to Sun Belt Semifinals with 66-34 Win over Appalachian State

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 21:14:10 +0000

For the 11th consecutive season, top-seeded Little Rock won its quarterfinals game at the Sun Belt Conference Championship as it defeated No. 9 Appalachian State 66-34 on Thursday afternoon at Lakefront Arena.�� The Trojans (21-9) were led by senior Monique Townson who put up a game-high 14 points with four steals, four assists, and a team-leading seven rebounds. Yanina Inkina had 12 with two rebounds, and Tori Lasker tallied 11 points with four assists, three rebounds, and two steals. Ronjanae DeGray was the fourth Trojan in double figures as she ended the game with 10 points, four rebounds, and four steals. Little Rock shot 45.1 percent (23-for-51) from the field, 54.5 percent (6-for-11) from three and 70 percent (14-for-20) from the charity stripe. The Mountaineers (8-23) tallied just 34 points for the game — its fewest of the season. They also tied Little Rock’s opponent low for points scored this season. App State had no players in double figures as LaPresha Stanley led the Mountaineers with nine points. App State shot just 26.7 percent (12-for-45) from the field, 13.3 percent (2-for-15) from three and 50 percent (8-for-16) from the foul line. Little Rock took its largest lead of the game in the fourth quarter at 37 points with 8:18 left in the game. Inkina drained her sixth field goal of the game to put the Trojans up 61-24. With 3:44 left and the lead well in hand, Little Rock went to its bench and wrapped up the victory. The Trojans had their best offensive quarter of the season in the third period as they outscored the Mountaineers 30-13. Townson and Lasker each tallied nine points for the quarter. Lasker was 3-for-3 from beyond the arc in the first three minutes of the second half while Townson was 3-for-3 from the field with one three-pointer and two free throws. Little Rock put together runs of eight and 11 points during the period. The Trojans were 10-for-15 (66.7 percent) from the field in the quarter while the Mountaineers were 5-for-15 (33.3 percent). The Trojans ended the first half by allowing its fewest first-half points this season as they held the Mountaineers to 11. Little Rock went to the break with a 15-point lead over App State. The Trojans shot 38.5 percent (5-for-13) in the second quarter while holding the Mountaineers to 15.4 percent (5-for-13). After beginning the period on a 7-4 run, Little Rock went on a 7-0 run to take its largest lead of the half at 26-9. Little Rock had a 12-5 lead at the end of the first quarter after shooting 30.8 percent (4-for-13). Inkina led the quarter with six points as she went 3-for-5 from the field. The Trojans tallied four steals for the quarter while forcing seven Mountaineer turnovers. Little Rock held App State to 22.2 percent (2-for-9) from the field. Keanna Keys finished the game with nine points and six rebounds while Terrion Moore tallied a career-high eight assists with three rebounds and two points. Raeyana DeGray had five points and two assists, and Kira Shepard put up three points. The Trojans finished the game with a season-high 12 steals while forcing 20 Mountaineer turnovers. Little Rock will have two days to prep for its semifinals matchup on Saturday at 5 p.m. The Trojans will face either No. 4 Troy or No. 5 South Alabama on ESPN3.

Coach Foley, 3 Trojans earn Sun Belt Conference honors

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 05 Mar 2018 15:55:11 +0000

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Coach Joe Foley was named the Sun Belt Conference’s Coach of the Year for the 2017-18 season, while three Trojans also earned Sun Belt Conference honors.��Ronjanae DeGray was named to the All-Sun Belt First Team, while and Keanna Keys and Monique Townson were named to the All-Sun Belt Third Team.�� Foley’s Coach of the Year award is his fifth as the Trojans’ head coach. He previously won the award in 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2017. The 2017-18 season was a big one for Foley as he became the Sun Belt’s all-time winningest��coach, earned his 750th career win, earned his 300th win as the Trojans’ head coach, and coached in his 1,000th career game. Foley’s Trojans won the Sun Belt Conference Regular Season Championship with a 17-1 conference record for the second consecutive year. On Saturday, Foley tallied his fourth consecutive 20-win season at Little Rock and 11th as the Trojans’ head coach. Foley now has 27 20-win seasons in his 31 seasons as a collegiate head coach. DeGray’s All-Sun Belt First Team honor is the first of her career. During the regular season, the junior led Little Rock with 13.9 points per game while tallying a 51.8 field-goal percentage and 5.6 rebounds per game. In Sun Belt play,��DeGray averaged 16 points with a 53.2 field-goal percentage and 6.2 rebounds per game. DeGray led Little Rock in scoring on 10 different occasions throughout the season and tallied double figures in all but five games. DeGray��scored at least 10 points in all but one Sun Belt Conference game. Keys’ All-Sun Belt Third Team honor is the first of her career as the graduate student averaged 8.9 points per game with a 53.0 field-goal percentage and 5.1 rebounds per game. In conference action, Keys averaged 9.7 points with a 57.0 field-goal percentage and 5.0 rebounds per game. Keys’ field-goal percentage for the season and in conference play were second-best in the league. Keys shot 42.9 percent or better in all but one Sun Belt contest. Like Keys, this is Townson’s first All-Sun Belt Third Team honor. The senior led Little Rock with 4 assists per game and 1.8 steals per game while tallying 7.7 points per game and 4.7 rebounds per game. In Sun Belt play, Townson��had 8.4 points per game, 5.4 rebounds per game, 4 assists per game and 1.4 steals per game. For her career, she has the best free-throw percentage of any player to wear a Little Rock uniform at 80.7 percent. Little Rock will get back to action on Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Conference Championship and will face either No. 8 Arkansas State or No. 9 Appalachian State as the No. 1 overall seed. Opening tip is 11:30 a.m. at Lakefront Arena on ESPN3. All-Sun Belt��First Team Ronjanae DeGray, Little Rock (Junior, Forward, Odessa, Texas) Jas Adams, Coastal Carolina (Senior, Guard, Winston-Salem, N.C.) Chyna Ellis, South Alabama (Senior, Center, Cordova, Tenn.) Rebekah VanDijk, UTA (Senior, Center, Nazareth, Texas) Taeler Deer, Texas State (Senior, Guard, Houston, Texas) All-Sun Belt��Second Team Akasha Westbrook, Arkansas State (Junior, Guard, Malvern, Ark.) DJ Williams, Coastal Carolina (Sophomore, Guard, Moreno Valley, Calif.) Toshua Leavitt, Texas State (Junior, Guard, Nixa, Mo.) Kayla Robinson, Troy (Sophomore, Guard, Clyo, Ga.) Amber Rivers, Troy (Sophomore, Forward, Birmingham, Ala.) All-Sun Belt Third Team Bayley Plummer, Appalachian State (Sophomore, Center, Thomasville, N.C.) Monique Townson, Little Rock (Senior, Guard, Kansas City, Mo.) Keanna Keys, Little Rock (Graduate, Forward, Sumrall, Miss.) Simone Fields, Louisiana (Senior, Forward, San Antonio, Texas ) Crystal Allen, UTA (Senior, Guard, Fort Worth, Texas) Sun Belt Player of the Year Taeler Deer, Texas State (Senior, Guard, Houston, Texas) Sun Belt Defensive of the Year Chyna Ellis, South Alabama (Senior, Center, Cordova, Tenn.) Sun Belt Freshman of the Year Savannah Jones, South Alabama (Freshman, Guard, Ocean Springs, Miss.) Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year Sky’Lynn Holmes, Troy (Junior, Forward, Mount Pleasant, Texas) Sun Belt Coach of the Year Joe Foley, Little Rock

DeGray earns Sun Belt Player of the Week honors

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 15:11:59 +0000

Helping her team score two home wins over the weekend, University of Arkansas at Little Rock women’s basketball’s ��was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week on Jan. 15.�� In the Trojans’ two wins over UT Arlington and Texas State, DeGray averaged 18.5 points, a 65.2 field-goal percentage (15-for-23), and 4.5 rebounds in 31.5 minutes per game off the bench. DeGray began the week with a team-leading 14 points in addition to five rebounds in 32 minutes against the Mavericks. She followed that up with her best performance of the weekend against the Bobcats as she tied a season high with 23 points, went 10-for-11 from the field and tallied four boards in 31 minutes. This season, DeGray leads the Sun Belt and ranks 35th nationally with a 55.9 field-goal percentage. In conference play, the junior is third in the league with 19.0 points per game and leads the field with a 65.8 field-goal percentage. This is DeGray’s first Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week award, and she’s the first Trojan to pick up the honor this season. Little Rock has first place all to itself in the Sun Belt Conference at 6-0 with a 1.5-game lead over second-place South Alabama and Louisiana.��Little Rock will host rival Arkansas State on Saturday at 3 p.m.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock