NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee State used a three-point barrage to put Little Rock in an early hole and the Trojan shooting woes continued in a 94-69 loss to the Tigers Saturday afternoon at the Gentry Center.
Just a pair of Trojans finished in double figures on the day, led by a 17-point effort from
Jordan Jefferson who was 5-of-9 from the floor and 4-of-6 from three point range, adding a pair of rebounds.
Myron Gardner finished with 10 points and four boards with a pair of assists to pace Little Rock.
DeAntoni Gordon finished with nine points and four rebounds with
Ethan Speaker adding eight points and
Chris Walker posting seven points with a team-high seven rebounds, dishing out three assists.
Little Rock shot 41.9% from the floor for the game, hitting 26-of-62, but once again struggled from beyond the arc, making just 6-of-18 (33.3%). That was contrasted by Tennessee State shooting 58.9% (33-of-56), including 65.2% in the second half, as the Tigers knocked down 14 three pointers, tied for the most by an opponent this season, including 7-of-9 (77.8%) in the second half to put the game away.
Tennessee State also held the 36-29 edge in rebounding while the Trojans forced 19 Tiger turnovers. But six blocks for Tennessee State frustrated Little Rock offensively as the Tigers' size made its presence felt.
Looking to end the year on a winning streak, Little Rock fell behind quickly as Tennessee State raced out to a 12-2 lead early and never looked back. A 9-0 Tiger run gave Tennessee State a commanding 26-9 lead with eight minutes remaining in the half, an advantage it would extend to 23 at 41-18 before taking a 45-26 lead into halftime.
The Trojans shot just 32.3% in the first half hitting 10-of-31, and was just 3-of-12 from beyond the arc while Tennessee State hit 7-of-16 (43.8%) to help extend the lead.
It was more of the same in the second half for the Trojans as Tennessee State used the long ball to extend its lead to 30 at 63-33 with 16:04 remaining. An 8-0 run for Little Rock got the Trojans to within 22 at 67-45 at the 11:43, but that was as close as they would get as the Tigers cruised to the 94-69 win on its home court.
The win for Tennessee State evens the all-time series at 2-2 as the Trojans are still seeking their first road win of the year, sitting at 0-10 in 2022-23.
Little Rock now heads home to the Jack Stephens Center for a pair of games, beginning with fellow Ohio Valley Conference newcomer Lindenwood. Opening tip against the Lions is set for 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 4.
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