CONWAY, S.C. – Freshman
Jordan Jefferson recorded a career-high 18 points and
Nikola Maric just missed a double-double, but a cold shooting night proved costly for Little Rock as the Trojans dropped a 65-49 decision to Coastal Carolina Thursday evening.
Jefferson's 18 points came on 6-of-14 shooting, including 4-of-9 from three point range, becoming the 12th different Little Rock player to reach double figures this season. It bested his previous career high of six points, adding a steal.
Maric played his first game since January 6 and finished with 13 points and nine rebounds, marking his eighth-straight game in double figures and the 56th of his career. He upped his career point total to 976, leaving him 24 shy of reaching 1,000 points.
The duo were the lone Trojans to reach double figures as Little Rock shot just 31.1% from the floor for the game, including 18.5% from three point range.
Isaiah Palermo finished with nine points and five rebounds, but the other five Trojans that touched the floor combined for just nine total points.
Once again, Little Rock saw a substantial differential in rebounding as the Chanticleers held a 45-28 edge. The Trojans had just seven turnovers on the evening while forcing 13 Coastal giveaways but the Chanticleers held a 32-24 edge in points in the paint.
Playing its final game at the HTC Center as a league member, Little Rock put together a solid opening four minutes both offensively and defensively, building an early 5-0 lead and forcing a pair of Chanticleer turnovers. After Coastal took a 6-5 lead, Little rock responded with a 6-2 run of its own, thanks to back-to-back baskets from Maric, taking an 11-8 lead at the midway point of the first half.
But the final 10 minutes of the half belonged to the Chanticleers, using a 15-2 run over nearly seven minutes to build its largest lead at 23-13 with 2:22 to go. The Trojans made just one of nine shots during the streak, broken by a three from Palermo to make the score 23-16 into the half.
Through the opening 20 minutes, Little Rock shot just 23.3% from the floor (7-of-30) and made just two of 16 three point attempts (12.5%) without a trip to the free throw line. Coastal held a 25-16 edge in rebounds in the first half Palermo's five points leading the Trojans.
Little Rock's shooting touch seemed to return early in the second half as the Trojans were able to cut into the Chanticleer lead. Jefferson scored Little Rock's first six points of the second half, and back-to-back layups from Palermo and Maric helped the Trojans get to within three at 29-26 with 14:34 remaining.
But Coastal Carolina was able to start pulling away, using a pair of extended runs. The Chanticleers put together a 9-1 run, pushing the Trojan deficit back to 11 at 38-27 with 11:54 to go. Back-to-back threes from Jefferson and an and-one from Maric got Little Rock to within seven at 43-36, but a 9-0 run by the Chanticleers extended the lead to 16, putting the Trojans in a deficit they couldn't overcome.
The loss drops Little Rock to 7-10 on the year and 2-3 in Sun Belt play as the Trojans are still seeking their first road win of the year, sitting at 0-6 and riding a 12-game losing streak in true road games.
The road trip continues Saturday in Boone, North Carolina, for an afternoon showdown with App State. Opening tip against the Mountaineers is set for 3 p.m. CT from the Holmes Convocation Center.
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