Arkansas
Troy women fall to Arkansas State in Sun Belt tournament semifinals, 81-66
Troy’s third meeting this season with Arkansas State ended with the same result as the previous two, as the Trojans fell 81-66 in the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference women’s basketball tournament on Sunday in Pensacola, Fla.
The third-seeded Trojans (20-13) trailed by 12 at halftime, but got within six points late in the third quarter. However, Arkansas State (20-10) pulled away with a 14-2 run over the final 1:44 of the third to build a 65-47 lead and Troy never got closer than eight points down the rest of the way.
“I think that we shot probably more poorly than we have all year in the beginning of that game, and that was a terrible mixture with not rebounding,” Troy coach Chanda Rigby said. “Because (Arkansas State) is the worst team you could have done that on because that’s how they got so much in transition because we were missing shots, not rebounding, and they were going in transition.
“I thought the team was really striving hard to get back in transition, but time after time after time we would have had to been perfect in those situations to keep them from getting a shot because that’s what they do.”
Kennedi Montue led Arkansas State with 21 points and eoight rebounds in just 20 minutes off the bench, while Crislyn Rose added 14 points and Zyion Shannon 13. The Red Wolves — who swept the Trojans during the regular season, 91-77 in Jonesboro and 89-85 in Troy — won despite shooting just 36% as a team.
Briana Peguero led Troy with 17 points, while Emani Jenkins chipped in 12, Shaulan Wagner had 11 and All-Sun Belt forward Zay Dyer scored 10 with 11 rebounds. Briann Jackson scored 10 points and grabbed 15 of the Trojans’ 52 rebounds.
Troy had a poor shooting night of its own, connecting on just 29% of its attempts in the game. The Trojans — unsuccessful in their attempt to win their first Sun Belt tournament title since 2021 — fell into an early hole with a 25% shooting effort in the first half.
Troy will now return home and continuing practicing, with an eye toward earning a spot in one of the various postseason tournaments.
“Because of the good play that they’ve had so far this year and some of the big teams they’ve beaten like Arkansas, and some of the big moments we’ve had, because they are a good team, there’s a very good chance that they’re going to earn postseason play,” Rigby said. “So it’s not over. Everything is up in the air.
“We’ll go back to Troy. They’ll be in school in class tomorrow morning. They’ll have a couple days off from basketball to rest their body and hopefully we’ll know a little more as the week goes on.”
Arkansas State advances to face top-seeded James Madison (28-4) in the Sun Belt championship game at 1 p.m. Monday, with television coverage on ESPN2. The Dukes beat No. 4 Coastal Carolina 89-65 in Sunday’s other semifinal, and are unbeaten in 19 games against Sun Belt opponents this season.
CORNING, Ark. (KATV) — Regulatory Enforcement Agents with the Department of Finance and Administration, along with local police, seized a significant amount of illegal THC products from Pacific Green in Corning on Tuesday.
According to the DFA, more than a dozen agents joined the City of Corning Police in the day-long operation that resulted in two arrests.
DFA agents seized more than 25 pounds of illegal products consisting of flower, vapes, and edibles.
Owner Ben Bennett and employee Sharia Shipman were arrested and both charged with the following:
- Delivery of a Schedule VI controlled substance (Class D Felony)
- Possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance with the purpose to deliver (Class B Felony)
- Controlled substances – Offenses relating to records, maintaining premises (Class C Felony)
- Possession of drug paraphernalia (Class D Felony)
- Unauthorized use of another person’s property to facilitate certain crimes (Class C Felony)
Bennett’s bond was set at $150,000, while Shipman’s bond was set at $100,000.
“In addition to selling illegal products, investigators confirmed violations involving underage access at this location,” said David Potter, Director of the Regulatory Enforcement Division. “This retailer, which was located within 1,000 feet of a school, presented significant public health and safety concerns. We are proud to partner with the Corning Police Department in addressing these violations. We seized a substantial quantity of illegal products, including flower, vapes, edibles, and other items, during the operation. We appreciate the cooperation of local law enforcement and information received from the community that led to yesterday’s operation and stopped this blatant disregard of the law.”
Note: All suspects accused of a crime are presumed innocent unless proven guilty by a court of law.
The Department of Finance and Administration said Arkansans can use Apple Wallet to present their license or ID in person, online and in apps at select organizations, including at more than 250 Transportation Security
IDEMIA Public Security North America and the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration’s Division of Driver Services and Motor Vehicles have launched Arkansas driver’s licenses and state IDs in Apple Wallet, allowing residents to securely store and use their credentials on an iPhone or Apple Watch.
The new feature gives Arkansans the ability to present their identification at participating businesses and venues, at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints in more than 250 airports, and online or within apps when age or identity verification is required.
The launch builds on Arkansas’ ongoing efforts to expand digital identification options. In March 2025, the state introduced the Arkansas Mobile ID app, and officials say adding IDs to Apple Wallet offers residents another secure and convenient way to access their credentials.
“We’re proud to build on our partnership with the Arkansas DFA’s Division of Driver Services and Motor Vehicles, expanding on the launch of the Arkansas Mobile ID app in March 2025. The launch of ID in Apple Wallet in the state provides Arkansas residents a new, secure way to store and present their digital credentials, with transparency and control over how their information is shared at the forefront,” said Rob Gardner, CEO, IDEMIA Civil Identity.
To add an Arkansas driver’s license or state ID to Apple Wallet, users can tap the plus sign at the top of the Wallet app on their iPhone, select “Driver’s License or State ID,” and follow the verification process.
Officials say privacy and security were central considerations in the rollout. Information stored in Apple Wallet is encrypted on a user’s device, and users control when and how their information is shared. When presenting an ID, only the information necessary to verify age or identity is provided.
Apple and the Arkansas Division of Driver Services and Motor Vehicles also do not receive information about when or where residents use their digital IDs.
The technology is also designed to make verification easier for businesses. Participating businesses can use IDEMIA’s Mobile ID Verify app to accept and verify mobile IDs directly from an iPhone without requiring customers to hand over their devices or use additional hardware.
The launch marks another step toward broader adoption of digital credentials in Arkansas, giving residents a secure alternative to carrying a physical driver’s license or state ID while maintaining control over their personal information.
For information on the launch of IDs in Apple Wallet in Arkansas, click here.
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