Bowling Green, Ky. — UALR shot 50 percent from both the field and beyond the three-point arc in the second half, and used a late run to pull away from the Western Kentucky University women’s basketball team as the Trojans picked up a 61-50 win Sunday afternoon at E.A. Diddle Arena.

The loss dropped the Lady Toppers to 6-13 overall and 3-4 in the Sun Belt Conference, while also ending WKU’s five-game home-court win streak. UALR improved to 10-10 and 5-2 in the league.

WKU led by two at halftime, but the Trojans used a 7-0 run out of the locker room to open up a 29-24 lead just two minutes into the period. UALR would not trail the rest of the way, but the Lady Toppers were able to pull within a point on five different occasions — the last coming when a Teranie Thomas jumper made it a 41-40 game midway through the half.

The Trojans would answer with back-to-back threes by Janette Merriex to storm back out to a seven-point advantage, which proved to be too much for WKU to overcome. After a LaTeira Owens jumper at the 8:20 mark cut it to a five-point game, the Lady Toppers would go nearly five minutes without a field goal as the Trojans opened up a 55-44 lead with just under four minutes remaining.

WKU made one last run, scoring six straight to cut it to a 55-50 score with 2:35 still to play, but was held scoreless the rest of the way as UALR scored the final six to stretch the final margin to 11.

Most of the first half was played within a three-point margin as WKU was able to jump out to an early 9-6 lead after a Chaney Means three at the 14:32 mark. The Trojans answered with a 9-3 run of their own to pull out to a 15-12 lead midway through the half.

Trailing 17-14 with 9:19 on the first-half clock, WKU used a 10-2 run over a three-minute stretch to open up a 22-17 lead. Thomas keyed the spurt, scored six of the 10 points during the run — finishing with eight points at intermission. The Lady Toppers were able to limit UALR to just 29.6 percent shooting in the first half, but the Trojans closed the period by scoring the final three points to cut the WKU advantage to 24-22 at halftime.

The senior duo of Owens and Thomas combined for 38 of WKU’s 50 points as Owens posted her third straight double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Thomas added a season-high 16 point to go along with five boards. Taylor Gault paced four Trojans in double figures with 17 points.

The Lady Toppers hit the road and return to action Wednesday when they visit Florida Atlantic for a 6 p.m. (CST) contest in Boca Raton.