Box Score YPSILANTI, Mich. - The UALR men's basketball team (2-2) suffered a 62-51 loss to Eastern Michigan (2-1) in its second game of the Auto-Owners Spartan Invitational on Friday night at the Convocation Center. The Trojans shot just 31.9 percent from the field against EMU's zone defense, and were held to an 8-of-30 effort over the final 20 minutes (26.7 percent).
Darrell Lampley scored 15 of his game-high 21 points in the second half to lead the Eagles to victory, with Jamell Harris adding six points and a game-high 10 rebounds. UALR held a 23-22 lead at the break after holding the Eagles to a .259 field goal percentage over the first 20 minutes (7-of-27), but EMU bounced back to shoot 45.8 percent from the floor in the second half (11-of-24).
Seniors Courtney Jackson and D'Andre Williams paced UALR with 11 points apiece in the loss, but the Trojans committed a season-high 21 turnovers which EMU turned into a 21-to-5 scoring edge in points off turnovers. UALR came into the contest averaging just 10.3 turnovers per game, but opened the night off by committing 13 turnovers in the first half alone.
UALR took its last lead of the game with 6:57 remaining as a field goal by senior Marlon Louzeiro gave the Trojans a 41-40 advantage. EMU responded with eight-unanswered points, six of which came from Lampley, to build a seven-point lead it would never relinquish, as UALR followed up Louzeiro's basket with a 6:11 drought between field goals. Prior to its deciding 8-0 run, Eastern Michigan had not led by more than four at any point in the game.
UALR led by as many as 10 points in the first half, 18-8, as sophomore Chuck Guy hit a pair of three pointers to spark a 10-0 run by the Trojans. A three pointer by junior Will Neighbour put the Trojans on top 21-16 with 7:35 left in the half, but UALR would make just one more field goal the rest of the way - a layup by senior Tramar Sutherland with 50 seconds to go.
UALR returns to action Sunday evening when it travels to East Lansing to take on Michigan State at 5 p.m. (CT). The game will be televised by the Big Ten Network.
