LITTLE ROCK – Four Trojans scored in double figures, led by a career-high from freshman Damir Hadzic, but hot shooting from beyond the arc for Ouachita Baptist propelled the Tigers to an 81-79 victory over Little Rock in the 2017-18 season opener.

Hadzic's 16 points came of 7-of-11 shooting, including 2-for-4 from three point range, while adding four rebounds and a block in his Trojan debut. Junior Ben Marcus finished with 12 points, going an efficient 6-for-8 from the floor, with senior Wadly Mompremier adding 11 points, hitting all four of his shots on the night.

Sophomore Andre Jones finished with 10 points and tied for the team-high with five assists with junior Oliver Black nearly notching a double-double, scoring eight points and grabbing nine rebounds with three assists. Junior Camron Reedus notched eight points in his Trojan debut with freshman Jaizec Lottie matching Jones with five assists on the afternoon.

But the story of the afternoon was the three-point shooting from Ouachita Baptist as 28 of its 53 attempts were from beyond the arc, connecting on 14 of them. The 14 made threes was two off the opponent record at the Jack Stephens Center as eight different Tigers connected on a three-point attempt.

Similar to the exhibition game last week, Little Rock dominated in the paint, outscoring Ouachita Baptist 48-20, and held a 22-14 edge in points off turnovers. For the game, the Trojans shot an impressive 55.0 percent, but made just six of their 20 three-point attempts. Little Rock also struggled at the free throw line, making just seven of its 16 attempts (43.8 percent).

The first half was a back-and-forth affair as the teams combined for six ties and eight lead changes over the opening 10 minutes. Trailing by six at the midway point of the half, Little Rock used an 11-3 run to pull in front, only to see Ouachita Baptist use an 11-4 run of their own to take a 40-34 lead into the locker room.

It was a lead the Tigers never relinquished as Ouachita Baptist led by as many as 11 with just under eight minutes to play at 71-60. Trailing by 10 at the 2:42 mark, Little Rock mounted a furious rally, pulling to within three off a Reedus three-pointer with 52 seconds to play, then again off a Jones lay-up with 12 seconds to go. But the Tigers put the game away at the free throw line and earn the 81-79 victory.

The win adds to what has been a one-sided series for Ouachita Baptist as the Tigers are now 24-2 all-time against the Trojans and have won 15-straight, although it should be noted that today's game was the first meeting between the two in nearly 50 years, dating back to the 1967-68 season.

Head coach Wes Flanigan said in the postgame press conference that the team will take the loss as a learning experiences, choosing to focus on the positives rather than the negatives. Nine of the 12 Trojans that logged minutes did so for the first time in a Trojan uniform with eight of them playing in their first Division I game.

The Trojans now have another big learning experience ahead, going on the road for the first time against one of the top names in college basketball. Little Rock heads east on I-40 for a showdown with Memphis at the FedEx Forum Tuesday, November 14, tipping at 7 p.m.

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