The grind-it-out defensive showdown Joe Foley envisioned transpired over 40 minutes Tuesday night at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock.
It was almost enough for Foley's UALR women's team to notch one of its biggest victories, but foul trouble caught up to UALR in the fourth quarter as its defense lagged and No. 5 Mississippi State surged to a 58-44 victory in front of an announced crowd of 1,534.
The Trojans' man-to-man defense held the Bulldogs (10-0) to a season-low point total -- which was 22 points below Mississippi State's per-game average -- and to 19 fewer shots from the floor than they average.