MARTIN, Tenn. — Little Rock pushed Ohio Valley Conference leader UT Martin to the final possession but came up just short, falling 55-52 Saturday night at the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center.
The Trojans (9-14, 6-6 OVC) led multiple times and controlled the interior, scoring 30 points in the paint while forcing 11 steals, but UT Martin's shooting from beyond the arc proved to be the difference. The Skyhawks knocked down 10 three-pointers to hold off Little Rock late.
"I thought we competed for 40 minutes against one of the best teams in the league," head coach
Darrell Walker said. "Our guys played with toughness, defended, and gave ourselves a chance to win on the road."
Little Rock stayed within striking distance throughout the first half, trailing just 23-21 at the break despite a slow shooting start. The Trojans offset shooting struggles by creating turnovers and turning defense into offense, finishing with eight points off turnovers in the opening half.
"We defended well and made them work for everything," Walker said. "When you're guarding like that, you're always going to be in the game."
The Trojans found their rhythm offensively in the second half, shooting 61 percent from the field while continuing to attack the paint. Little Rock scored 18 second-half points inside and remained locked in defensively, recording five steals after halftime to keep the game tight into the closing minutes.
Braxton Bayless led Little Rock with 13 points on five made field goals, while
Kachi Nzeh added 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting.
Johnathan Lawson contributed eight points and four steals, setting the tone defensively, and
Tuongthach Gatkek provided a strong presence on the glass with eight rebounds and two steals.
Little Rock returns home to play Lindenwood at 7 p.m. Thursday night.
