NORTH LITTLE ROCK – Behind double-doubles from
Myron Gardner and
DeAntoni Gordon and another strong performance from
Jordan Jefferson, Little Rock raced out to a sizeable lead and held off a late UT Martin charge to take its Ohio Valley Conference debut, 88-74, at Simmons Bank Arena.
With the win, Little Rock improved to 5-9 on the year and won its conference opener for the fourth-straight season, the last three of which were in the Sun Belt Conference. The Trojans also improved to 5-0 all-time against UT Martin and 5-0 as well in home games this season, now spanning two different venues.
Gardner matched his season-high and was one off his career-best, finishing with 23 points with 10 rebounds and five assists. It was his third-straight double-double and sixth in the last seven games as he now has eight the year, the most in OVC play. Gardner was 4-of-9 from the floor but went to the free throw line 19 times, making 13 – the most in a game for the Trojans since Kamani Johnson made 14 against UT Arlington in 2020.
Gordon registered his third double-double of the year, finishing with 16 points, one off his career-best, and a career-high 12 rebounds while going 5-of-11 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the line. He also had a game and career-best four steals.
Jefferson continued his stellar play, scoring in double figures for the sixth-straight games with 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including 15 in the first half. His 19 points was the second-most in a game this season, coming off the heels of his career-high 30-point performance at Arkansas State.
Chris Walker added 11 points off the bench as the Trojans shot 48.3% for the game, making 28-of-58 shots. Little Rock was 7-of-16 from three point range and made a season-high 25 free throws, going 25-of-38 from the line.
Little Rock was outrebounded 41-40 on the night, despite holding a 24-16 edge in the first half, as 15 offensive boards for the Skyhawks led to an 18-10 advantage in second chance points. Little Rock's defense held UT Martin to just 35.9% shooting and 29.0% from three point range while forcing 15 Skyhawk turnovers, outscoring UT Martin 25-12 in points off turnovers.
Playing in its old home, Little Rock felt right at home early at Simmons Bank Arena, using an early 10-2 run to build a five-point cushion at 11-6. After UT Martin tied the game at 11-11, Little Rock would score 13 of the next 16, extending its lead to 10 at 24-14 with 8:04 remaining in the opening half.
The Trojans continued to extend its lead over the final eight minutes, including a 21-7 spurt over a five-minute spurt, including an 8-0 run spanning just over a minute, to build a 20-point advantage at 45-25. When the dust settled in the opening 20 minutes, Little Rock held a 46-29 lead heading into intermission.
Little Rock shot 50.0% from the floor in the first half, including 3-of-8 (37.5%) from three point range, as Gardner (16 points) and Jefferson (15) combined for 31 of the Trojans' 46 points. Gardner and Gordon each had six rebounds in the first half with Gordon dishing out three assists.
UT Martin found its scoring touch early in the second half, using a 6-2 run to cut the deficit to 12 at 48-36, then again at 50-38. But Little Rock responded with a 7-0 run of its own, pushing the lead back to 19 at 57-38 with just under 14 minutes remaining.
Little Rock then continued to frustrate UT Martin, slowly extending its lead to 25 at 72-47 with 8:56 to play, capped by a block from Walker on the defensive end and his own transition three to finish at the other end. The Trojans forced three Skyhawk turnovers during the run as Little Rock knocked down 7-of-10 to help extend the lead.
The Trojans pushed their lead to 27 at 78-51 with 6:08 remaining, only to see the Skyhawks reel off a 16-0 run over a three minute span, knocking down four threes during the run to cut the Little Rock lead to 11 at 78-67 with 2:59 to play.
But a three from Walker with two minutes remaining ended the scoring drought and helped settle the Trojans down as Little Rock clamped down defensively, extending the lead back to 18 at 85-67, securing their first victory as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference.
After a strong start to the second half, the Trojans shot 46.4% over the final 20 minutes while hitting 4-of-8 from three point range. All nine Trojans that saw playing time scored, contrasted with UT Martin, which saw five players score all but one of its 74 points, led by 24 from KJ Simon.
Little Rock now hits the road for its first road OVC contest, traveling to Nashville, Tennessee to face Tennessee State in a New Years Eve matinee. Opening tip against the Tigers is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. from the Gentry Center.
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