CHARLESTON, Ill. — Little Rock showed its toughness and resilience Saturday afternoon, battling until the final possession in a back-and-forth Ohio Valley Conference showdown before Eastern Illinois used a late free-throw advantage to secure a 78-72 decision at Groniger Arena.
The Trojans (10-17, 7-9 OVC) delivered a determined effort on both ends of the floor, finishing with 30 points in the paint and 17 fast-break points while matching Eastern Illinois (11-16, 7-9 OVC) through nine ties and nine lead changes.
"I'm proud of the way our guys competed," head coach
Darrell Walker said. "We came into a tough environment and fought for 40 minutes. We showed toughness, we showed heart, and we gave ourselves a chance to win on the road."
Little Rock set the tone early with aggressive, up-tempo play.
Cameron Wallace opened the scoring with a fast-break layup, and
Braxton Bayless followed with a three-pointer to give the Trojans early momentum.
Kachi Nzeh and
Tuongthach Gatkek established a strong interior presence, helping Little Rock attack the paint and dictate the pace.
Eastern Illinois answered with timely baskets, but the Trojans remained poised.
Truman Claytor IV knocked down a key three-pointer midway through the first half to reclaim the lead, and Little Rock continued to execute offensively, trailing just 34-30 at halftime.
The Trojans came out of the break with renewed energy. Nzeh opened the second half with an offensive rebound and tip-in, igniting a key stretch after Eastern Illinois briefly extended its lead. Gatkek delivered a powerful dunk to energize the Trojans, and Bayless added a fast-break layup to cut the deficit and shift momentum back in Little Rock's favor.
Little Rock's defensive intensity and transition play fueled a strong push down the stretch. Nzeh's three-pointer gave the Trojans a second-half lead, and the teams continued to exchange baskets in a tightly contested finish. Little Rock's ability to attack in transition and score inside kept the pressure on Eastern Illinois until the final seconds.
Claytor led the Trojans with 17 points, knocking down 3-of-5 from beyond the arc while adding two steals. Nzeh contributed 13 points and seven rebounds, while Bayless recorded 12 points and six assists.
Johnathan Lawson added 12 points and seven rebounds, continuing his steady all-around play.
Little Rock returns home Thursday, Feb. 19, to host UT Martin at the Jack Stephens Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
"We're excited to get back home in front of our fans," Walker said. "Our focus now is to build on this effort, continue to improve, and be ready to defend our home court."
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