LITTLE ROCK – Little Rock put on a dunking clinic, throwing down nine on the night, and clamping down on defense as the Trojans raced past Miles College 67-47 at the Jack Stephens Center. The win ups Little Rock's overall record to 5-6 and closes out the Trojans' extended home stand.
The Trojans gave Miles College, the top defensive team in Division II, a taste of its own medicine, holding the Golden Bears to just 28.8% shooting on the night, including 27.3% from three-point range.
For its part, Little Rock was held to 43.1% from the floor, due largely to the Trojans' struggles from beyond the three-point arc, going 4-of-19 (21.1%). Little Rock had another efficient game at the free throw line, making 13 of its 16 attempts (81.3%).
Once again, the Little Rock offensive attack was led by
Rayjon Tucker, who notched his second double-double as a Trojan, finishing with 18 points and 12 rebounds on the night and accounting for four of the Trojans' nine dunks.
He was nearly joined in the double-double club by
Kris Bankston, who set a career-high with 11 rebounds and finished with eight points, including three dunks, going 4-for-4 from the floor.
Nikola Maric added 16 points for Little Rock as both he and Tucker finished 4-for-5 at the charity stripe.
Dani Koljanin provided a spark off the bench, contributing nine points in 20 minutes of action, his best performance as a Trojan.
Jaizec Lottie joined Bankston with eight points and dished out five assists, second to
Markquis Nowell's game-high six helpers to complement his three steals.
Playing its final home game for a month, Little Rock started out sluggish against Miles College, watching as the Golden Bears built an early 11-7 lead as the Trojans made just two if their first 13 shots. Little Rock would fight back to take a 12-11 lead, only to see Miles hit a transition three to reclaim the lead at 14-12.
Little Rock then turned the tables on Miles College defensively, holding the Golden Bears scoreless for nearly four minutes and using a 13-4 run to build a 25-17 advantage with just over three minutes remaining in the half.
Miles College used back-to-back threes to pull to within two at 25-23, but that push was answered by a Little Rock as the Trojans took a 33-27 lead into halftime. Little Rock shot 40 percent from the floor in the opening half while committing just three turnovers and going 7-for-9 from the free throw line.
The momentum Little Rock gained at the end of the first carried over into the second half as the Trojans scored the first nine points of the stanza, and 15 of the first 17, turning a six-point lead into a 19-point advantage at 48-29, including dunks from Tucker and Wyatt to spark the run.
From that point on, Little Rock remained in control for the duration, extending its lead to as many as 27 before cruising to the 20-point victory. The Trojan put the defensive clamps on the Golden Bears, holding Miles College to just 20.6% shooting in the second half and outscoring the Bears 31-12 over the first 12 minutes to put the game away.
After an extended home stand, it will be a while before the Trojans take to the court at the Jack again as Little Rock will be on the road until January 10, 2019. That road swing opens up next week, beginning in Memphis as the Trojans and Tigers tangle on Wednesday, December 19. Opening tip is set for 7 p.m. at the FedEx Forum.
#LittleRocksTeam
