Box Score MONROE, La. ? UALR (6-7, 1-1) rallied from a six-point deficit with 3:42 remaining on Thursday night to force overtime at Louisiana-Monroe (7-6, 2-0), but the Warhawks went 4-for-4 from three-point range in the extra session to take a 76-68 win and drop the Trojans to 1-1 in Sun Belt play.
Senior Rashad Jones-Jennings notched his fourth-consecutive double-double and the 20th of his career, finishing with 21 points and a game-high 17 rebounds in the loss. ULM's Brandon Roberts (24) and Jordan Payne (21) combined for 45 points and shot 8-of-16 from three-point range to give the Warhawks a 2-0 start in their first year in the Sun Belt.
UALR trailed for almost the entire game and held just two leads on the night ? taking a 2-0 lead out of the gate and a 42-41 lead in the second half. After rallying to send the game into overtime, the Trojans were unable to stop the Warhawks, who opened the overtime period on an 11-4 run by sinking three treys (two of which came from Roberts).
“I thought our togetherness was there tonight, but I didn't think our intensity, effort and enthusiasm was where it was against Denver and needs to be every time out,” said UALR head coach Steve Shields. “We have to continue to grow as a team from a toughness standpoint.”
The Trojans pulled within five points, 71-66, off a putback by Jones-Jennings, but Roberts answered with his third three pointer in the overtime period to seal the victory.
The Warhawks led 60-54 with 3:42 left to play, but the Trojans pulled within three off a trey from junior Terrance Akins, then tied the game at 60-all off a three-point play from Jones-Jennings.
ULM called a timeout with 31 seconds to go in regulation to draw up its final play, but Roberts' three pointer was off the mark. The Trojans collected the rebound and pushed the ball up court, getting it to senior Byron Ray, who hit what would have been a game-winning basket, but the officials declared he didn't get the shot off in time.
Jones-Jennings and Ray carried the scoring load over the first 10 minutes of the game, as the duo combined to score 10 of the team's first 12 points. After trailing 12-6 early on, a field goal by Jones-Jennings pulled UALR within two points, 14-12, with 9:44 on the clock. The Warhawks however, turned to Payne who sank a three pointer to spark a 10-0 run and give ULM a 24-12 edge with 5:18 to play. Payne scored eight of the team's 10 points during the run, thanks in part to two three pointers, and finished with 10 points and seven boards in the first half.
Jones-Jennings put an end to the run with a layup, then sophomore Buddy Harding delivered a three pointer to pull UALR within seven, 24-17. Harding's three pointer with 3:59 on the clock marked the first points of the game by a Trojan guard, and snapped a personal 0-for-13 drought from three-point range.
The Trojans closed within three points, 26-23, when sophomore De'Andre Eggins fed Jones-Jennings down low for a layup, but Darien Bynum answered with a jumper on the other end to send ULM into the intermission with a five-point lead, 28-23.
Ray (3-for-3) and Jones-Jennings (5-for-6) went a combined 8-of-9 from the field in the first half, and scored 16 of the Trojans' 23 points. Excluding those two, the rest of the team managed a miserable 2-of-16 from the field (12.5 percent).
Ray finished with 13 points and seven boards on the night, teaming with Jones-Jennings to lead UALR to a 42-34 edge on the glass. Sophomore Lekheythan Malone added 10 points and four rebounds in the loss.
UALR will enjoy a week layoff for the holidays before returning to action on Dec. 28 at Louisiana-Lafayette.
