LITTLE ROCK – In the final home game of the 2017-18 season, Little Rock held a one-point lead with 90 seconds remaining against Appalachian State. But the Mountaineers scored six-straight over the next minute to build a 67-62 lead, holding off the Trojans 69-67 loss in their home finale.
The loss came despite the Trojans holding Appalachian State to just 10-of-27 from beyond the three-point arc and limiting the Mountaineers, the Sun Belt's top rebounding team, to just 26 boards and six offensive rebounds.
But 16 turnovers, including two in the final minutes, proved costly for the Trojans, who fall to 6-23 on the year and 3-13 in Sun Belt Conference play.
Jaizec Lottie just missed logging his first career double-double, tying his career-high with 17 points and adding a career-best nine rebounds, going 6-of-10 from the floor.
Brandon Brady saw his most significant time as a Trojan, playing 35 minutes and registering a career-high nine points in his first start as a Trojan.
Wadly Mompremier also logged his first career start on Senior Day, finishing with nine points and six rebounds for the Trojans with
Cameron Corcoran posting eight points, all coming in the first half.
Oliver Black finished with seven points, four rebounds and a team-high three assists as all nine Trojans that played registered at least four points.
For the game, Little Rock shot 48.1 percent from the floor (25-of-52) and 50 percent from three-point range (7-of-14), making 10 of its 15 free throws (66.7 percent). The Trojans held the 26-20 advantage in points in the paint as the Trojan bench outscored the Mountaineers 24-9.
Looking to close out the home schedule on a positive note, Little Rock and Appalachian State matched each other basket-for-basket early until a 6-0 run for the Mountaineers put the visitors on top 22-15 with 8:20 to go. Little Rock used a 7-2 run of its own, five of which were scored by Corcoran, pulling to within two at 24-22 with just over six minutes to go in the opening half.
Appalachian State hit back-to-back building an eight-point lead at 30-22, but the run seemed to spark the Trojans who reeled off nine straight of their own, reclaiming the lead at 31-30. Trailing 33-31, Brady would notch the steal and the uncontested lay-up, sending the game to the half tied at 33-33.
Little Rock carried the momentum early into the second half, scoring six of the game's first eight points in the second stanza to claim its largest lead at 39-35. But the Trojans hit an extended scoring drought, making just one shot in six minutes, allowing the Mountaineers to take a 47-44 lead.
Trailing 55-49 with 6:33 remaining, Little Rock put together an 8-2 run over the 2:30, pulling even following a Bankston block on the defensive end which led into a transition lay-up from Lottie at the other. After exchanging baskets down the stretch, Lottie drilled a three from the wing with 1:53 remaining, putting the Trojans on top 62-61.
But Appalachian State forced the Trojans into tough shots, then converted those misses on the offensive end. Lottie scored the final five points in the closing 10 seconds, but Little Rock couldn't get the defensive stop it needed as Appalachian State outlasted the Trojans to earn the 69-67 victory.
27 of Appalachian State's 47 shots came from beyond the three-point arc, hitting 37.0 percent from three and 48.9 percent from the floor (23-of-47). Ronshad Shabazz and Justin Forrest each recorded 18 points for the Mountaineers in the victory.
Little Rock now gets set to close out the 2017-18 season down south, heading to Louisiana for the final two regular season games of the year. The Trojans begin in Monroe, facing ULM on Thursday, March 1, tipping at 7 p.m.
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