NASHVILLE, Tenn.
— Little Rock (9-12, 6-4 OVC) battled to the final minutes but came up short in a 70-63 loss to Tennessee State (14-7, 8-3 OVC) on Thursday night at the Gentry Center Complex.
The Trojans enjoyed a 35-30 halftime lead and set the tone early with its defensive intensity, forcing nine steals and converting 14 points off turnovers. After Tennessee State jumped out in front behind early free throws and a fast-break dunk, the Trojans settled in and answered with energy on both ends.
Cameron Wallace sparked the response with a fast-break dunk at the 13:42 mark, tying the game at 9 and igniting a sustained run.
Braxton Bayless knocked down a three-pointer at 9:09 to give Little Rock its first lead, and the Trojans continued to build momentum. A 5-0 spurt, capped by
Kachi Nzeh's three at 4:13, pushed the advantage to 29-22. Little Rock closed the half strong defensively and went into the locker room with a 35-30 edge.
The Trojans came out firing after halftime, as
Johnathan Lawson buried a three-pointer just 33 seconds in and followed with a layup to extend the lead to double digits. Tennessee State responded with consistent pressure and trips to the free-throw line, slowly chipping away at the margin.
The Tigers eventually tied the game at 63 with 2:26 remaining before Travis Harper II connected on a three-pointer at the 1:41 mark to swing the lead back in Tennessee State's favor. Little Rock was unable to regain the lead down the stretch as the Tigers closed out the contest from the line, outscoring the Trojans 40-28 in the second half.
"We competed for 40 minutes and did a lot of things that give you a chance to win on the road," head coach
Darrell Walker said. "The difference came down to execution late and free throws. Our effort and defensive energy were there — now we've got to finish plays and close games against top teams in this league."
Lawson led Little Rock with 16 points, hitting four three-pointers while adding three steals. Wallace finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and three assists, and Bayless also scored 13 points to round out the Trojans' balanced offensive effort.
Little Rock returns to OVC action at 3 p.m. Saturday at Tennessee Tech looking to build on its defensive performance as conference play continues.
"We have to move on and get ready for Tennessee Tech," Walker said.
