LITTLE ROCK – Little Rock led for over 38 minutes, paced by a 30-point, 12-rebound performance from
Kamani Johnson and a 29-point outburst from
Markquis Nowell, holding off a late UT Arlington rally to topple the Mavericks 92-89 at the Jack Stephens Center. The win improves the Trojans to 10-5 in the season and 4-0 in Sun Belt Conference play, sitting alone atop the conference standings.
"This was another big time effort against a very, very good UT Arlington team," said head coach
Darrell Walker. "I'm proud once again of our team and the fight we had tonight. We faced some adversity, but always managed to overcome it. It was another very gritty win."
Game Notes
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Kamani Johnson posted his best game as a Trojan, finishing with a career-high 30 points with 12 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. Johnson was 8-of-12 from the floor and 14-of-16 from the free throw line to help pace Little Rock.
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Markquis Nowell notched 29 points, his ninth 20-point plus performance of the season. Nowell once again played all 40 minutes, making 10-of-19 from the floor and 7-of-13 from three point range.
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Ruot Monyyong posted his seventh double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 5-of-6 from the floor.
Ben Coupet Jr. added 15 points, including going 5-of-6 from the free throw line.
• As a team, Little Rock shot 55.6% for the game, knocking down 30 of 54 shots. The Trojans were 38.9% from three point range and hit 25 of 33 free throw attempts (75.8%).
• UT Arlington was equally as hot from the floor, making 50% of their attempts and 10-of-25 from three point range. The Mavericks were also 13-of-16 from the line and forced the Trojans into 19 turnovers.
• The all-time series between the Trojans and Mavericks is tied 6-6 with Little Rock winning the last four meetings at the Jack Stephens Center.
• Little Rock has matched last year's win total already, sitting at 10-5 on the year. The Trojans have won five-straight games for the first time since winning six-straight in 2016-17 and are 4-0 in league play for the first time since 2015-16.
• Little Rock improved to 5-2 in games decided by five points or less this season.
First Half Notes
• After a pair of slow games, Nowell got off to a fast start against the Mavericks. Nowell hit back-to-back threes to start the game and scored 11 of the Trojans' first 13 points to help Little Rock to an early 13-7 advantage.
• Nowell's hard start continued as he knocked down his first five shots, four of which were three pointers, giving him 14 of the Trojans' first 18 points. Little Rock connected on 10 of its first 14 shots, shooting 71.4% over the opening 10 minutes and building a 25-19 lead.
• An and-one by Johnson at the 10:32 mark gave Little Rock a seven-point lead at 28-21 at the 10:32 mark, giving him his 10th point of the game. It marks the first time this season Little Rock has had a pair of double-digit scorers in the first half of a game.
• Leading 30-27, Little Rock put together a 6-0 run, extending its lead to nine at 36-27 behind a steal and layup from Nowell, a dunk from Coupet and a pair of free throws from Johnson. The Trojans forced four UTA turnovers during the run.
• Holding a 39-30 lead, Little Rock saw UT Arlington string together a 9-2 run, getting the Mavericks to within two at 41-39 at the 2:14 mark. A pair of free throws from Johnson, followed by a put-back dunk from Monyyong helped Little Rock get the lead back to six at 45-39 with under a minute to go.
• Five of the last six points of the first half were scored by the Mavericks, trimming Little Rock's halftime lead to two at 46-44. Johnson had 17 in the first 20 minutes and Nowell added 16 as the Trojans shot 57.1% from the floor. UT Arlington shot 60.7% in the first half, including 6-of-12 from three point range.
Second Half Notes
• It was another fast start to the second half for Little Rock, scoring nine of the first 11 points over the first two minutes. A jumper from Coupet, a layup from Monyyong, a dunk from Johnson and a three from Nowell forced an early timeout from the Mavericks as Little Rock build a 55-46 lead.
• Little Rock's second half advantage pushed to 12 at 58-46, then again at 60-48. Back-to-back threes from Nowell upped his total to 22, marking the ninth time this season he has eclipsed the 20-point plateau.
• Johnson set a new career-best registering his 22nd points on an and-one with 13:05 remaining as the Trojans held a 66-57 lead. Little Rock led by 11 at 68-57 off a tip-in dunk from Coupet, but a foul on a three-point attempt for UTA helped spark a Mav rally, getting to within five at 68-63.
• Little Rock built its lead back to 10 at 79-69 with 7:44 remaining thanks to free throws from Johnson and Coupet. UTA once again pulled within five, but a pair of key rebounds from Monyyong and a key and-one from Lottie pushed the advantage back to eight at 84-76 with 4:50 remaining.
• Up 84-79 with three minutes to go and the shot clock winding down, Nowell once again hit another long three pointer from well beyond the arc, upping the lead to 87-79. But three-straight baskets on the other end for UT Arlington brought the Mavericks to within two at 87-85 with 1:17 to go.
• After exchanging baskets and free throws, Little Rock held a 91-89 lead when Lottie was fouled coming up court. He hit one of two, and then UTA's Brian Warren's potential game-tying three pointer rattled in and out as time expired, preserving the win for the Trojans.
Up Next
• Little Rock's home stand continues with a rare Monday night showdown with Georgia Southern heading to the Jack Stephens Center. The Trojans and Eagles tip it off at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
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