OXFORD, Ohio – Miami (Ohio) used a three-point barrage to race out to an early lead, then used the long ball to stave off a Little Rock second half rally, handing the Trojans the 80-67 loss at Millett Hall Saturday afternoon.
Miami hit a season-high 14 three pointers against the Trojans as 14 of its 24 made field goals came from beyond the arc. The RedHawks hit 50.0% for the game and 42.4% from three point range after making seven of their first 12.
For the game, Little Rock shot 46.3%, aided by making 13-of-21 (61.9%) in the second half, but the Trojans continued to struggle from beyond the arc, making just six of 22 attempts (27.3%), including 1-of-10 in the first half.
Three Trojans finished in double figures, led by 18 from
D.J. Smith, who was 8-of-16 from the floor with four assists.
Nigel John had a season-high 17 points, shooting 7-of-10 with five rebounds, while
Myron Gardner added 12 points, six rebounds and a team-high five assists.
Isaiah Palermo and
Chris Walker each added seven points for the Trojans with Walker pulling down a team-high eight rebounds.
DeAntoni Gordon and
CJ White each finished with three points to round out the scoring for the Trojans.
Rebounds were nearly even with Miami holding a 28-27 advantage while the Trojans held a 28-18 edge in points in the paint. Little Rock committed 11 turnovers but the three point shooting of the RedHawks kept the Trojans at bay all afternoon.
Miami came out red-hot in the opening minutes, making all seven of its first seven shots, including 5-for-5 from three-point range for Billy Smith as the RedHawks raced out to the early 23-8 lead. Miami extended its lead to 16 at 28-12 at the midway point of the opening half as the Trojans continued to struggle from the floor, shooting just 6-of-15 through the first 10 minutes.
Little Rock was able to chip away at the lead, pulling to within 10 at 30-20 with 5:05 remaining, thanks to four-straight points from Gardner as he, Smith and John combined for the first 20 points of the game for the Trojans.
But Miami closed out the first half on a 13-7 run, extending its halftime lead back to 16 at 43-27. The RedHawks shot 64.0% from the floor in the opening half, including 9-of-17 from three point range, while Little Rock was just 12-of-33 (36.4%) from the floor, making one of 10 three point attempts.
Smith led the way with 10 points for the Trojans in the opening 20 minutes with John adding eight and Gardner posting six points with four rebounds.
The Miami three-point barrage continued early in the second half as all three of their first baskets were beyond the arc, extending the lead to 17 at 52-35 with 17:25 to play. But Little Rock began finding its touch both offensively and defensively, using an 11-0 run off a key of stops to get to within six at 52-46 with 14 minutes remaining in regulation.
But Miami continued to use the three point shot to keep the Trojans at bay, pushing its lead back to 16 off a 10-0 run with a pair of threes, leading 62-46 with just over 10 minutes remaining. Little Rock was able to pull to within 11 in the waning minutes with reserves on the floor, but once again, the deficit proved too much as the Trojans fall to 2-5 on the year.
Little Rock is still seeking their first road win of the year as the Trojans are now 0-6 all-time in games played within the state of Ohio.
Little Rock's extended road trip continues as the Trojans head to San Francisco, California, playing in its sixth different state this year. Opening tip against San Francisco is set for 9 p.m. CT Wednesday evening.
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