STATESBORO, Ga. – Little Rock overcame a double-digit second half deficit to reclaim the lead late in the second half against Georgia Southern on its home court. But the Eagles drained a three-pointer at the buzzer, handing the Trojans a heartbreaking 72-69 loss at Hanner Fieldhouse.
Trailing 69-67,
Cameron Corcoran drove the lane and converted a reverse lay-up with 18 seconds remaining, knotting the game at 69-69. Georgia Southern held for the last shot and put up a three at the buzzer, leaving Tookie Brown's hand with 0.2 seconds remaining, sinking the Trojans 72-69 at the horn.
The loss drops Little Rock to 4-13 on the year and 1-3 in Sun Belt Conference play while Georgia Southern improves to 12-5 overall and 3-1 in league play.
Corcoran was one of three Trojans to finish in double figures, tying his career-high with 14 points.
Oliver Black set a new career-best with 15 points for Little Rock while adding seven rebounds while
Andre Jones added 13 points and four assists for the Trojans.
Damir Hadzic added nine points for Little Rock as nine different Trojans found their way onto the scoresheet.
Jaizec Lottie posted seven points with four rebounds with
K.J. Gilmore finishing with four points.
Kris Bankston added three points and six rebounds in his first career start.
For the game, Little Rock shot 47.2 percent from the floor (25-of-53) while going 9-of-20 (45.0%) from beyond the arc. But free throws once again haunted the Trojans, who converted just 10-of-20 (50.0%) for the game and 3-of-8 in the second half.
In contrast, Georgia Southern connected on 16 of its 24 free throw attempts (66.7%), marking yet another conference game where the free throw disparity accounted for the point differential. The Eagles shot 43.4 percent from the floor and 40.0 percent from beyond the arc.
Early on for the Trojans, it was
Oliver Black that led the charge, scoring the first six points of the game, including a block on the defensive end that led to a transition dunk on the other end. Both teams struggled to find their shooting touch early as the Trojans held a 15-13 near the midway point of the opening half.
But Georgia Southern found its scoring touch on the home court as the Eagles outscored the Trojans 17-3 over the next five minutes, building a 30-18 lead at the 5:12 mark. The Trojans were able to trim the deficit to as little as six at 35-29 with under a minute remaining off back-to-back threes from Corcoran and a lay-up from O. Black.
After a pair of free throws for the Eagles, Hadzic was fouled on a last second three-point attempt and hit two of his three free throws with 0.2 seconds remaining, pulling the Trojans to within six at 37-31 at the intermission.
Both Little Rock and Georgia Southern matched each other blow for blow to start the second half with the Trojans able to pull to within four on a pair of occasions, the last of which came at 48-44 off threes from Jones, who scored seven of Little Rock's first 10 points, and
Brandon Brady.
Georgia Southern pushed its lead back to nine off three-straight threes, but the run was countered by threes from Corcoran and Lottie, pulling the Trojans back to within four at 57-53 at the 10-minute mark. Lottie then had a steal and a layup 90 seconds later, helping Little Rock pull to within two at 59-57.
Feeling the momentum shift, Bankston tied the game with a slam at the 8:14 mark, then Lottie with a driving layup put the Trojans over the hump at 61-59, using a 14-2 run over a seven and a half minute span to take the lead. But Little Rock missed four-straight free throws, preventing them from extending the lead further.
Those free throws would prove costly as encouraged on by a loud home crowd, Georgia Southern whittled away at the lead and forced a pair of crucial turnovers. The Eagles led by four at 69-65 before
Andre Jones hit both free throws in a one-and-one situation with just under a minute to go, setting up the dramatic finish.
Four Eagles finished in double figures, led by Tookie Brown's 15, including the game-winning shot.
Little Rock heads back to familiar surroundings, beginning a three-game home stand at the Jack Stephens Center. That stretch begins Thursday, January 11, when the Trojans host preseason Sun Belt Conference favorite UT Arlington, getting underway at approximately 7:15 p.m.
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