EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Little Rock used a dominant second half to pull away from Southern Indiana, earning a 77–62 Ohio Valley Conference road victory Thursday night at Liberty Arena.
The Trojans (3–9, 1–1 OVC) outscored the Screaming Eagles 43–26 after halftime, asserting control in the paint and on the glass. Little Rock finished with 34 points in the paint and a decisive 43–28 rebounding advantage to secure its first conference road win of the season.
"This was a big win for us, and we played the way we're capable of," Little Rock head coach Darell Walker said. "We defended the way we did last season and played an overall great game. A lot of guys had to gut it out and log heavy minutes, and I'm proud of our effort."
The first half featured a back-and-forth battle with multiple lead changes. Little Rock established an early interior presence behind
Kachi Nzeh and
Cameron Wallace, scoring 16 paint points in the opening half. Southern Indiana countered with perimeter shooting, keeping the contest tight throughout.
Tracy Steele Jr. drilled a three-pointer with nine seconds remaining to briefly give the Trojans the lead, but Southern Indiana answered with a fast-break three by Cardell Bailey at the buzzer, sending Little Rock into the break trailing 36–34.
Little Rock wasted no time flipping momentum in the second half. Nzeh opened the period with a three-pointer, and Wallace followed moments later with a steal and emphatic fastbreak dunk to give the Trojans the lead for good. After Southern Indiana briefly tied the game at 41, Little Rock responded with a decisive run fueled by transition baskets, defensive pressure, and efficient shot-making.
Wallace continued to spark the Trojans on both ends, while
Braxton Bayless and Steele knocked down timely three-pointers to stretch the lead.
Johnathan Lawson added a key triple as Little Rock built a double-digit advantage midway through the half.
The Trojans' defense clamped down late, limiting Southern Indiana's scoring chances while Bayless sealed the win at the free-throw line.
Nzeh led Little Rock with 21 points on an efficient 9-of-10 shooting, adding two blocks. Wallace posted a double-double with 19 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Lawson finished with 18 points, three three-pointers, and two steals, while
Tuongthach Gatkek contributed nine rebounds and four blocks.
"I was feeling good tonight. I came out aggressive from the beginning and just kept going," Nzeh said. "My shots were falling, and I was in the flow of the game. But this was a team effort —
Cameron Wallace and
Johnathan Lawson were scoring, and
Tuongthach Gatkek made a big impact defensively."
Little Rock returns home Monday, Dec. 22, to face Williams Baptist at 7 p.m. inside the Jack Stephens Center.
"We will enjoy the bus ride home and rest and see if we can carry some of this momentum into Monday's game," Walker said. "It will be fun to be playing at home in front of our fans."
