NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Holding a one-point halftime advantage, Little Rock came out firing in the second half and raced to a convincing 83-67 victory over Tennessee State at the Gentry Center Tuesday evening. The win, Little Rocks' first road victory of the year, marked a program milestone as it was the 1,000th in the history of Trojan basketball.
Four different Trojans scored in double figures in a balanced offensive attack, led by
Rayjon Tucker's 15 points as the redshirt junior went 7-of-8 from the floor, helping spark the second half surge. Sophomore
Kris Bankston continued his strong start to the season, finishing with 14 points and eight rebounds, making six of his seven shots with three blocks.
Jaizec Lottie and
Nikola Maric each finished with 12 points for the Trojans with
Ryan Pippins and
Kamani Johnson each posting nine points, followed by eight from
Dani Koljanin. As a team, the Trojans shot 56.9 percent from the floor, including 66.7 percent in the second half as it found its scoring groove.
Little Rock dominated Tennessee State in the paint, outscoring the Tigers 52-22 , while holding a 22-7 edge in points off turnovers. The Trojans held a 38-30 rebounding edge while holding Tennessee State (0-2) to just 39.3 percent shooting on the night.
The opening 20 minutes turned into a back-and-forth affair as neither team was able to establish its foothold. The largest lead in the opening half by either team was just three points as the Trojans and Tigers combined for 12 ties and 11 lead changes. Trailing 30-29 with time winding down, Johnson grabbed an offensive rebound and laid the putback off the glass, giving Little Rock the 31-30 halftime edge.
That seemed to spark the Trojan offensive attack as Little Rock reeled off the first eight points of the second half, opening up a 39-30 lead on the host Tigers. After Tennessee State pulled to within four at 39-35, Little Rock took control of the game once and for all with a 14-2 run, extending its lead to 16 at 53-47 with 14 minutes to play.
Tennessee State chipped away at the Trojan lead, getting to within 10 at 55-45, but all that seemed to do was energize Little Rock, who reeled off 13-straight points to break the game open, taking a 68-45 lead at the midway point of the second half.
Playing with a renewed confidence, Little Rock kept Tennessee State at bay for the duration, picking up its first-ever win over the Tigers with the 83-67 decision. It marked the first win for Little Rock in the state of Tennessee since a 68-66 win at Middle Tennessee in 2006 and the second-straight true road win for Little Rock, building off its overtime win at Louisiana in the regular season finale last season.
The Trojans will now look to build off its win in Nashville with arguably its toughest road test in recent history. Little Rock continues its road trip Friday when it faces seventh-ranked Nevada in Reno. Opening tip against the Wolf Pack from the Lawlor Events Center will be at 10 p.m. CT as the game will air nationally on ESPNU.
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