EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (Interstat) — In a defensive struggle defined by missed shots and critical late-game execution, the Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans held off a furious fourth-quarter rally by SIU Edwardsville to escape the Vadalabene Center with a 48-45 victory in women’s college basketball on Thursday night.

The game, played before an announced crowd of 958, was a contest of attrition. Neither team shot above 38% from the floor, with both combining to make just 4 of 28 attempts from three-point range. The difference came at the free-throw line, where Arkansas-Little Rock converted 11 of 12 attempts while SIU Edwardsville managed just 4 of 11.

Jordan Holman led all scorers with 17 points for the Trojans, adding three blocks in 37 minutes, including two pivotal denials in the final seconds. Mya Cotto added 10 points for Arkansas-Little Rock, which improved to 8-7 overall.

SIU Edwardsville, which fell to 8-8, was led by 10-point efforts from Lauren Miller and Kiyoko Proctor. Miller also dished out a game-high five assists.

The Trojans built their lead with a strong start, opening the game on a 12-2 run and leading 16-9 after the first quarter. They extended the advantage to 28-20 at halftime, largely on the strength of their defense, which forced 18 Cougar turnovers and converted them into 18 points.

The third quarter was a low-scoring affair, with Arkansas-Little Rock managing only nine points but holding SIU Edwardsville to the same total to maintain a 37-29 lead entering the final period.

The most important part of the game unfolded in the fourth quarter, as SIU Edwardsville mounted a desperate comeback. The Cougars finally found an offensive rhythm, scoring 16 points in the frame, more than they had in any other quarter. A driving layup by Lauren Miller with 25 seconds remaining cut the Trojan lead to 46-45, capping a 16-9 run that brought the home crowd to its feet.

On the ensuing inbound play, the Trojans’ Alaina Payne was fouled and sent to the line with 23 seconds left. She missed the first free throw but calmly sank the second, pushing the lead back to two points.

SIU Edwardsville called a timeout to advance the ball and set up a final play. With time winding down, Macy Silvey attempted a potential game-winning three-pointer from the wing, but Holman rotated over and swatted the shot out of bounds with 2 seconds left. The block preserved the lead and sealed the victory.

The Cougars retained possession after the block but could not get another clean look, and a last-second heave was off the mark.

Beyond Holman and Cotto, Destinee Salgado contributed six points and a block for the Trojans. For SIU Edwardsville, Adriana Blazquez scored nine points and Syanne Mohamed pulled down a game-high four offensive rebounds.

Arkansas-Little Rock won despite an offensive rating of 76.6, scoring 48 points on 63 possessions. SIU Edwardsville was even less efficient, posting a 66.9 offensive rating with 45 points on 67 trips. Both teams committed 18 turnovers.

The Trojans travel to face Lindenwood on Saturday. SIU Edwardsville’s next game is on the road at Tennessee-Martin on Jan. 15.