CONWAY, Ark. – Five different Trojans finished in double figures, but Central Arkansas runs proved too much for Little Rock Monday night at the Farris Center as the Trojans drop an 82-71 decision to the Bears in the first of two Governor's I-40 Showdowns this season.
Little Rock shot 39.7% for the game, connecting on 27-of-68 shots and were 4-of-16 from three point range, but committed 17 turnovers to keep it from being able to rally from a double digit deficit.
Nigel John led Little Rock in scoring for the second-straight game, finishing with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting with eight rebounds while
Myron Gardner notched his second-straight double-double, finishing with 12 points and 14 rebounds to complement six assists and five steals.
DeAntoni Gordon added 12 points of his own with four boards, playing the majority of the game in foul trouble, while
Chris Walker added 11 off the bench, knocking down 3-of-7 three point attempts.
Isaiah Palermo also reached double figures for the first time this season, scoring 10 points.
Ethan Speaker added six points in his Little Rock debut with
Jordan Jefferson scoring four with four rebounds and a pair of assists.
Central Arkansas gained the early advantage on its home court, racing out to a 12-6 lead in the opening five minutes before a layup by John and a dunk from Palermo pulled Little Rock within two at 12-10 at the 13:54 mark.
Trailing 14-12, Little Rock turnovers helped UCA string together an 11-3 run, building its largest lead of the first half at 10, leading 25-15 at the midway point of the first half. That was answered by a 9-0 run for the Trojans who pulled to within one at 25-24 with 6:51 remaining.
UCA pushed its lead back to five at 29-24, only to see Little Rock get to within one at 29-28. But the Trojans couldn't get over the hump, committing turnovers on five-straight possessions down the stretch to allow the Bears to extend their lead back to seven, leading 37-30 at halftime.
Little Rock shot 43.3% in the first half, knocking down 13-of-30 from the floor and 2-of-8 from three point range, countered by Central Arkansas' 43.8% from the floor but the Bears hit 5-of-11 from three. UCA also took advantage of 12 Trojan turnovers in the opening 20 minutes, holding a 15-2 edge in points off turnovers.
It was a strong showing for John in the opening half, scoring 14 points with five rebounds with Gordon adding six points as the Trojans notched 20 points in the paint in opening half.
Central Arkansas carried the momentum into the second half, benefitting from three Little Rock turnovers to put together a 10-4 run to build a 47-34 lead at the 15:14 mark. The Bears would extend that advantage to 16 on a pair of occasions, the second of which came at 54-38 with 13:00 remaining, before a three from Walker ended the run.
That three from Walker sparked a Little Rock surge as he would hit a pair to help the Trojans get to within seven at 58-51 at the midway point of the second half. But Central Arkansas answered every run by the Trojans, pushing the lead back to 15 at 70-55 and taking advantage of Trojan miscues. The deficit proved too much for Little Rock to overcome down the stretch, falling to the Bears 82-71.
Little Rock falls to 1-2 on the year as Central Arkansas snaps the Trojans' two-game win streak in the rivalry series. The Trojans now get set for a trip to Johnson City, Tennessee, facing East Tennessee State in the return trip of its home-and-home series Thursday, November 17.
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