EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Little Rock took the lead in the first two minutes of the game and never lost it in a 74-56 win against Southern Indiana Thursday night at Liberty Arena.
The Trojans (15-9, 9-4) led by as many as 18 points in the first half, and held a 37-24 halftime lead. Once the lead grew to double digits, the Screaming Eagles (9-14, 4-9) were never able to knock it back to single digits. The closest they came was 10 with 11:17 to go in the game, but the margin was back to 12 moments later.
Johnathan Lawson hit his first three three-pointers in the first half to finish 5-of-8 from behind the arc for a game-high 19 points.
Jordan Jefferson came off the bench to score 17 points, and he also nabbed four steals and added two assists.
Mwani Wilkinson recorded a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds with 4 assists.
Ante Beljan added 10 points.
The Trojans shot 49% from the field and 55% from the three-point line. They converted on 9-of-10 free throws and only committed 10 turnovers. Meanwhile, USI shot 34.6% from the field and a frigid 5-of-23 (21.7%) from the three-point line. They committed 14 turnovers with the Trojans scoring 16 points off the miscues.
With 5:20 to play in the first half, USI only trailed 23-16. However, the Trojans rattled of an 11-0 run that included a four-point play from Jefferson and a three-pointer by Wilkinson on back-to-back possessions. A jumper by Lawson with 3:03 to play in the half gave the Trojans a 34-16 advantage.
The win sets up a big game at Morehead State on Saturday. The two teams are mired in a three-way tie for second place in the Ohio Valley Conference with Southeast Missouri. MSU and Little Rock tip off at 1 p.m. on ESPNU.
