LITTLE ROCK – For the second time in a week, Little Rock experiences a heartbreaking defeat at the buzzer, this time by Texas State as the Bobcats' shot as time expired hands the Trojans a 72-70 loss at the Jack Stephens Center.
Trailing by five with 27 seconds to play, Little Rock used an and-one from
Andre Jones to pull to within two before forcing Texas State into a traveling call with 9.7 seconds left. Jones then played the role of distributer, sending a baseline feed to
Oliver Black for the slam with 6.3 seconds remaining.
But after a foul at midcourt with 3.7 seconds left, Texas State had one final attempt and made it count, connecting from just inside the arc to the left of the key to hand Little Rock its second buzzer-beating defeat in seven days.
The loss overshadowed some impressive performances, including a 19-point, five-rebound, four-assist effort from Jones, as he finished a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line.
Cameron Corcoran and
Kris Bankston both set career-highs in points as Corcoran finished with 16 on 5-of-6 shooting, going 4-of-5 from three-point range. Bankston just missed posting the first double-double of the season for Little Rock, finishing with 14 points and nine rebounds, complemented by four assists and three blocks against the Bobcats.
Ryan Pippins finished with nine points with
Oliver Black adding eight points, going 4-for-4 from the floor, with three rebounds.
As a team, Little Rock shot a season-high 57.8 percent from the floor, hitting 26 of its 45 shots, including going 15-of-24 (62.5%) in the second half. The Trojans were 5-of-12 (41.7%) from three-point range and 13-of-17 (76.5%) from the free throw line, their third-highest percentage of the season.
But the difference Saturday night came down to one key stats: offensive rebounds. Texas State had 14 offensive boards, compared to just seven for Little Rock, leading to an 18-8 differential in points off turnovers. The Trojans once again held the advantage in the paint, outscoring the Bobcats 38-34.
A tightly contested opening 20 minutes, Little Rock and Texas State combined for three ties and three lead changes with neither team able to build more than a one-possession advantage early. A one-point game with 8:42 remaining, the Bobcats used a 9-2 run to build an eight-point lead at 28-20, the largest of any team in the first half.
After an extended scoring lull for both teams, Little Rock began a late surge in the waning minutes. The Trojans outscored the Bobcats 12-5 over the final 4:27, capped by a steal at midcourt by Corcoran with three seconds left and a three from the top of the key as the clock expired, trimming Texas State's halftime lead to one at 33-32.
Texas State pushed its advantage back to seven early in the second half at 43-36, but the Trojans whittled away the lead, outscoring the Bobcats 16-7 over the next five minutes to take the lead at 52-50. Tied at 52, Bankston threw down a baseline slam to give Little Rock the 54-52 lead with 7:04 to play.
But costly turnovers and key Bobcat offensive rebounds proved critical for the Trojans down the stretch as Little Rock saw Texas State reclaim a five-point lead 3:52 to go. The Trojans were able to scrape to within two on a handful of occasions, the last of which came at 67-65 with just over a minute to play.
The Trojans looked to have a big defensive stop, but a Bobcat three from five feet beyond the arc as the shot clock expired gave Texas State a 70-65 lead, setting up the dramatic finish.
Texas State shot 47.5 percent from the floor (29-of-61) and 45.0 percent from three point range (9-of-20) and had four players finish in double figures. Tre Nottingham led the Bobcats with 14 while Immanuel King and Nijal Pearson both registered 12 points a piece.
Little Rock now gets set to close out the home stand with arguably the most anticipated game of the year when Arkansas State makes its yearly trek to the capital city. Opening tip against the Red Wolves is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. on Saturday, January 20.
#LittleRocksTeam
