LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Little Rock delivered one of its most complete performances of the season Saturday night, knocking down 13 three-pointers and protecting the rim with 10 blocks in an emphatic 89-70 victory over the Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles at the Jack Stephens Center.
With the regular season complete, Little Rock now turns its attention to the Ohio Valley Conference Men's Basketball Tournament. The Trojans will face the Lindenwood Lions at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday night at the Ford Center, carrying confidence after one of their strongest offensive and defensive performances of the year.
"We knew we had to win to get to the tournament," Little Rock senior forward
Tuongthach Gatkek said. "We've done that, and now we just need to take it one game at a time."
The Trojans (12-19, 9-11 OVC) seized control early Saturday in front of a boisterous Homecoming crowd, erupting for 51 first-half points while holding Southern Indiana to 31. Little Rock shot efficiently, shared the ball, and dominated defensively, limiting the Screaming Eagles to 23-of-70 shooting from the field.
"Our guys came out with great energy and focus," Little Rock head coach
Darrell Walker said. "We moved the basketball, defended at a high level, and knocked down shots. When we play together like that on both ends of the floor, we're a tough team to beat. This was a great way to build momentum heading into the tournament."
Little Rock set the tone immediately, as
Kachi Nzeh opened the scoring and later caught fire from beyond the arc. The Trojans stretched the lead with perimeter shooting from
Joseph Thomas and
Braxton Bayless, while their interior defense anchored the advantage. Little Rock recorded eight first-half blocks, frustrating Southern Indiana's offense and fueling transition opportunities.
Thomas, making his first career start, delivered the best game of his career, scoring 19 points and knocking down 5-of-10 from three-point range.
"I had to take a moment to myself earlier to clear my head when I found out I was starting," Thomas said. "I really had to lock in."
Nzeh matched him with 19 points, connecting on 5-of-8 from deep and adding two blocks. Bayless provided steady leadership, finishing a perfect 5-for-5 from the field with 12 points and seven assists, consistently creating scoring chances for his teammates.
Inside, Gatkek controlled the paint with a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double, while also contributing five assists in one of his most complete outings.
Gatkek, along with Bayless, Tracy Steele Jr.,
Johnathan Lawson, and manager Ontaveous Jefferson, was honored during Senior Day festivities.
"It meant a lot to me because this is the first time my dad got to see me play in Little Rock," Gatkek said. "I played better because I knew he was here watching me."
The Trojans continued their surge in the second half, highlighted by back-to-back three-pointers from Nzeh that extended the lead to 72-45. Bayless orchestrated the offense during the decisive run, and Little Rock maintained a comfortable margin the rest of the way to secure the 19-point victory.
"I'm proud of how unselfish we were," Walker said. "We had guys stepping up, making plays, and defending. That's the formula we need as we head into Evansville. We still need to improve our rebounding. To beat better teams, we need to rebound better than we did today."
