LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Little Rock traded punches all afternoon and held a halftime lead, but Southeast Missouri State used a late second-half surge to escape the Jack Stephens Center with a 70-65 win Saturday.
The Trojans (11-18, 8-10 OVC) were in a game that featured seven ties and 11 lead changes, carried a 32-30 advantage into the locker room and recorded six blocked shots defensively. Ultimately, SEMO (18-11, 13-5 OVC) capitalized on points in the paint and key bench production down the stretch to pull ahead in the final minutes.
"You have to give SEMO credit. They have a good team and played well," Little Rock head coach Darrell Walker said. "Our guys played hard and came up short. That's about it. It was an entertaining game, but we came up short."
Little Rock set the tone early with defensive intensity, forcing turnovers and turning them into transition opportunities during a 6-0 opening run. Cameron Wallace knocked down key jumpers, while Kachi Nzeh and Johnathan Lawson added early scoring to keep the pressure on.
Lawson was steady throughout, finishing with 15 points, going 9-of-10 at the free-throw line, while adding two steals and two blocks. Nzeh led the Trojans with 16 points, three steals and five rebounds, continuing his aggressive two-way play.
As the first half tightened, Truman Claytor IV buried a three-pointer and Tuongthach Gatkek added a strong finish inside. In the closing seconds before halftime, Nzeh drilled a clutch three-pointer off a Lawson assist to send Little Rock into the break up 32-30.
"We did a lot of good things," Walker said. "We protected the rim with six blocks, we forced tough shots and we executed offensively in stretches. That's the kind of effort we need every night."
Little Rock briefly extended the lead to start the second half when Wallace converted a layup off a Braxton Bayless assist. Gatkek continued to anchor the interior defense, finishing with 10 points, four blocks and six rebounds.
Midway through the half, however, SEMO strung together a key run fueled by inside scoring and free throws. Despite a timely three-pointer from Joseph Thomas and late baskets from Bayless — who added eight rebounds and four assists — the Trojans were forced to play from behind in the final minutes.
Little Rock continued to pressure defensively and cut the deficit to single digits late, but the Redhawks converted at the line to secure the five-point decision.
"We're close," Walker said. "I told our guys in the locker room that if we keep playing with this toughness and attention to detail, it's going to break our way. We just have to stay the course."
The Trojans will look to respond Thursday, Feb. 26, when they host Morehead State at 7 p.m. inside the Jack Stephens Center.
