HUNTSVILLE, Texas – It was a tale of runs Friday night in Huntsville. Little Rock used an extended first half run to build a lead, but Sam Houston State's rally in the second half proved too much as the Trojans dropped a 57-55 decision to the Bearkats at Johnson Coliseum.
Trailing 57-49 with just under four minutes to go, Little Rock made one final rally, aided by back-to-back Bearkat turnovers in the final minute which led to Trojan layups. Down 57-55 with 9.6 seconds remaining, Sam Houston State missed the front end of a one-and-one, giving the Trojans one final shot. But with under two seconds left, a pass inside for the potential game-tying lay-up was stolen away by the Bearkats, preserving the 57-55 victory for Sam Houston State.
The loss drops Little Rock to 2-9 on the year, extending its winless streak to four games, while Sam Houston improves to 6-5 on the year.
For the game, Little Rock shot 41.5 percent from the floor, converting 22 of its 53 attempts, while hitting 28.6 percent from beyond the three-point arc, making 8 of its 28 attempts.
Three players finished in double figures for Little Rock, led by 11 from
Cameron Corcoran, who hit four of his eight shots and three of seven from beyond the arc.
Andre Jones and
Anthony Black each finished with 10 points for the Trojans with
Damir Hadzic adding seven points on the night.
Oliver Black led the rebounding edge for the Trojans, grabbing seven boards to complement his four points. Jones, A. Black and
Ben Marcus each finished with four rebounds while A. Black and
Jaizec Lottie each dished out five assists on the night.
From the onset, it looked as if the struggles from Wednesday night's loss at Bradley were continuing as Little Rock turnovers and Sam Houston shooting found the Trojans in an early 9-2 hole at the first media timeout, then saw themselves looking up at an eight-point hole at 13-5 at the 16:38 mark.
But the spark the Trojans have been looking for was found, beginning with back-to-back three-pointers from
Anthony Black. That sparked an 18-2 Little Rock run that spanned the next 10 minutes as the Trojans built a 23-15 lead, led by four big shots from beyond the arc.
Both teams struggled to hit shots over the final six minutes, including combining to hit just one of 15 shots during one stretch. The Trojans matched their largest lead at 28-20 before taking the 30-26 lead into the half, giving up a three at the buzzer to trim the gap.
The momentum from the three at the end of the half proved to swing momentum back in favor of the Bearkats. Little Rock pushed its lead back to six early in the second half at 37-31, only to see Sam Houston State respond with an 18-3 run to reclaim the lead at 49-40 with just under nine minutes remaining in the game. The two teams traded baskets, seeing the Bearkats build the 57-49 lead to set up the dramatic conclusion.
With the loss, Little Rock falls to 3-2 all-time against Sam Houston State, finishing the non-conference slate with a 1-2 record against Southland Conference schools. The Trojans are still in search of their first road win on the year as the streak has hit seven-straight losses, winning one of their last 14 away from the Jack Stephens Center.
Little Rock is hoping home will be the cure as the Trojans play their final non-conference home game on Monday, hosting the University of the Ozarks. Tipoff against the Eagles is set for 6:30 p.m. at the Jack.
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