LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Little Rock led by 14 early in the second half, then withheld a furious Arkansas State rally to notch a hard-fought 90-87 victory at the Jack Stephens Center. Markquis Nowell's 24 points paved the way for the Trojans who remain in first place in the Sun Belt standings, improving to 12-2 in league play and 18-7 overall.
"This was a battle of two great teams this afternoon," said head coach Darrell Walker. "They made a great run in the second half, but I'm proud of my team for continuing to play tough and making key shots when they needed to. The crowd was electric and it played a huge role for this team, which deserves a good crowd."
Game Notes
• Little Rock held an 11-point lead at halftime and led by as many as 14 early in the second half before the Red Wolves outscored the Trojans 51-43 over the final 20 minutes. The Trojans never relinquished the lead, however, as the game was tied once at 75-75.
• It was another strong shooting night for the opposition as Arkansas State shot 51.8% from the floor, including 59.3% in the second half. Little Rock finished the game at 43.1% including 10-of-23 from three-point range.
• Markquis Nowell finished with 24 points, marking the 11th time this season he has eclipsed the 20-point plateau. He was 5-of-15 from the floor but a clutch 12-of-12 from the free throw line to help seal the win. Little Rock improved to 11-2 in those 20-point performances.
• Ruot Monyyong notched his 14th double-double of the season, finishing with 13 points and 11 rebounds while going 9-of-10 at the free throw line. He helped the Trojans to a 36-32 rebounding edge, including 13-8 on the offensive glass.
• Marko Lukic caught fire in the first half, scoring 14 points in the first 20 minutes and finishing with 17. He was 6-of-11 from the floor and 4-of-7 from three point range with three rebounds.
• Nikola Maric found his groove, finishing with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including a pair of big three pointers. He also knocked down both of his free throw attempts.
• Ben Coupet Jr. added nine points for the Trojans with Jovan Stulic finishing with six. Jaizec Lottie had just two points, but those came on a pair of crucial free throws in the final 30 seconds to help preserve the lead for Little Rock.
• The Trojans' seven game winning streak is its longest since the 11 game winning streak to start the 2015-16 season. Little Rock also kept pace with the 2015-16 team as the 12-2 Sun Belt record is tied for the best conference start in program history through 14 games.
• Darrell Walker notched his first win against Arkansas State and has now beaten every team in the Sun Belt Conference except for Georgia State. The Trpjans currently hold a winning streak against every team in the league minus the Panthers.
First Half Notes
• Arkansas State built the early 11-6 lead as the Red Wolves hit 50% of their shots early while the Trojans went 2-of-7. Little Rock responded with a 9-2 run, taking the lead at 15-13 off a pair of free throws from Nowell. Coupet and Monyyong with baskets during the run as well.
• The Red Wolves found their scoring touch, converting on four of five field goal attempts to extend their lead to 21-19 at the 7:52 mark. A long three from Lukic ended the mini run as the Trojans reclaimed a 22-21 lead. Lukic knocked down a pair of threes during the Little Rock run.
• Little Rock kept Arkansas State without a field goal for three and a half minutes and used an 11-2 run to build a 35-27 advantage. A three pointer from Coupet, followed by another layup and a transition three from Lukic off a Coupet steal helped ignite the charge.
• Little Rock's run reached 20-6 over a nearly three minute span, turning a 27-27 into a 47-33 advantage. Five different Trojans scored during the run, but a late three as time expired from the Red Wolves cut the halftime lead to 47-36.
• The Trojans and Red Wolves combined for six ties and nine lead changes in the opening 20 minutes as Lukic led all scorers with 14 points, knocking down 4-of-6 three point attempts. The Trojans recovered from a slow start to shoot 48.1% in the first half while the Red Wolves sat at 44.8%.
Second Half Notes
• Little Rock used a 5-2 run to open the second half, upping its lead to 14 at 52-38, but Arkansas State responded with an 8-0 run of its own, pulling to within six at 52-46 at the 16:34 mark. A three from Stulic ended the run, giving the Trojans the 55-46 advantage with 15:36 remaining.
• Arkansas State's run extended to 16-3, pulling to within one at 55-54 with 12:52 to go. The Red Wolves rattled off eight-straight as the Trojans committed four turnovers during the stretch. A pair of free throws from Monyyong ended the run, upping his total to 11 points and 10 rebounds for the game for his 14th double-double of the season.
• Up 57-55, Maric knocked down his second three of the game, giving the Trojans the 60-55 advantage. With the Red Wolves threatening, Nowell scored eight-straight points for Little Rock, keeping the run at bay and upping the Trojan lead to 69-64 with 8:03 remaining.
• Arkansas State continued to slowly chip away at the lead before a 10-4 run evened the game for the seventh time at 75-75. The Red Wolves connected on seven of their nine shots during the run.
• A 6-0 run for Little Rock upped the Trojan lead to 81-75, which was answered by a run that included back-to-back threes for the Red Wolves, trimming the deficit to one at 84-83. The two teams exchanged points down the stretch as key free throws by Lottie and Nowell and a defensive stand in the waning seconds secured the win for Little Rock.
Up Next
• Little Rock begins a challenging final stretch of the season, playing four of the final six games of the regular season on the road. That stretch begins Thursday in San Marcos, Texas, facing Texas State. Opening tip against the Bobcats is set for 7 p.m.