NORMAL, Ill. – Little Rock raced out to an early lead, then used a late surge to erase a 10 point deficit. But Illinois State's three-point shooting in the second half helped the Redbirds pull away and hand the Trojans their first lost of the season, a 75-70 decision at Redbird Arena.
"We had our chances tonight, but they are a good, veteran team that made plays on their home court," said head coach
Darrell Walker. "But I'm proud of my guys for playing a pair of Missouri Valley Conference school tough on the road. We'll learn from this one and get ready for our home opener on Tuesday."
Breaking Down the Box
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Markquis Nowell was the bright spot on the night for the Trojans, finishing with 28 points, just five off his career-best. He played all 40 minutes, dishing out four assists and grabbing a pair of rebounds.
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Kris Bankston,
Ben Coupet Jr. and
Ruot Monyyong all finished with 10 points on the night, giving the Trojans four players in double figures for the first time this season.
• Coupet Jr. led Little Rock with seven rebounds with
Kamani Johnson adding five to complement his six points but the Trojans were outrebounded 29-28 against the Redbirds on the afternoon.
• Little Rock shot 50.9% from the floor, converting 27-of-53 shots, but was just 6-of-19 from three-point range (31.6%). The Trojans were efficient from the free throw line, hitting 10 of their 12 attempts (83.3%).
• Illinois State shot 47.1% for the game and 41.7% from three-point range, but the Redbirds connected on six of their eight three-point attempts in the second half to help pull away.
• Both teams finished with 24 points in the paint and combined for 11 ties and 10 lead changes on the night. Little Rock's largest lead was nine while the Redbirds' biggest advantage was 10 in the second half.
• The Redbirds are now 2-1 all-time against the Trojans, winning both meetings against Little Rock at Redbird Arena in Normal, Illinois. The first win came in 2011.
First Half Notes
• Little Rock raced out to a very fast start, making six of its first seven shots and forcing three Illinois State turnovers to build a 12-3 lead at the 15:16 mark.
Kris Bankston had three baskets during the run for the Trojans.
• After building the early lead, Little Rock struggled to find its offense, going over five minutes without a basket and committing four turnovers, allowing Illinois State to pull even at 17-17. The streak was broken by a long three from
Markquis Nowell, giving the Trojans the 20-17 edge at the 7:56 mark.
• Little Rock committed just one turnover in the first 10 minutes, but had seven over the next seven, allowing Illinois State to take their first lead since 2-0 at 26-24 with 3:19 remaining.
• Trojans were held to just one field goal and four total points over the final 7:15 as Illinois State made its run. After committing just one turnover through 10 minutes, the Trojans had nine turnovers over the final 10 as the Redbirds made a defensive shift.
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Markquis Nowell finished with 12 points in the opening 20 minutes on 5-of-9 shooting, leading all scorers.
Second Half Notes
• A dunk from Ruot Monyonng and back-to-back threes from
Ben Coupet Jr. helped Little Rock reclaim the lead early in the second half at 34-32.
• Illinois State responded with a 12-4 run, building its largest lead of the game at 44-38 with 15 minutes remaining in the game. Little Rock then used an 8-0 run of its own, reclaiming the lead 46-44, highlighted by a steal and layup from
Markquis Nowell.
• Little Rock held a 50-49 lead off a pair of free throws from
Kamani Johnson, but a a12-2 run for the Redbirds, including a pair of threes and a technical foul on head coach
Darrell Walker, helped Illinois state build a 61-52 lead with 7:22 remaining to shift momentum.
• After trailing by 10 at 62-52, Little Rock used a 14-2 run over a three minute span, sparked by eight points from Nowell, to reclaim the lead at 66-64 with 3:15 remaining. But Illinois State outscored the Trojans 11-4 over the final minutes to secure the win.
Up Next
• Little Rock opens its 2019-20 home schedule hosting Southwest Baptist Thursday, November 14 at the Jack Stephens Center. Opening tip is at 6:30 p.m. and the game against the Bearcats will stream live at ESPN+.
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