Trojan bricks build Bear victory
CONWAY — An abysmal performance from the free throw line helped settle things Wednesday night between Central Arkansas and Little Rock.
At one point, Little Rock (3-4) missed 13 free throws in a row while going 4 of 21 from the line in a 78-65 loss to the Bears (3-4) at the Farris Center.
“Have you ever seen a team miss 13 straight free throws?” said new Little Rock head men’s basketball coach Darrell Walker said. “There it is. That’s your game.”
The Bears caught fire in the second half to separate from the Trojans. Including a 69-54 victory against the Trojans in December in Conway, the victory was the school’s second against Little Rock since 1973-74.
“We made just enough plays, and our defense was really good tonight,” said Central Arkansas head men’s basketball coach Russ Pennell.
“I’m happy about that. I’m happy about the win. And happy about just a good overall night for the Bears.”
Wednesday was the first home game fr Central Arkansas since Nov. 12 and was the first of two meetings between the two teams in an 11-day span. The Trojans will host the Bears on Dec. 8 at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock.
Central Arkansas scored 15 of the first 17 points in the second half and stretched a 33-32 halftime lead to 48-34 less than six minutes into the final half.
“We got in a little rhythm,” Pennell said.
The Trojans, which lost to Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday and have dropped two in a row to in-state foes, scored four points in the first seven minutes of the second half.
Battling foul trouble, neither freshman center Nikola Maric nor sophomore forward Kris Bankston played more than eight minutes in the first half. The Trojans’ depth was taxed.
Without starting freshman point guard Markquis Nowell (sprained ankle), redshirt junior guard Deondre Burns (ankle) and sophomore guard Damir Hadzic (wrist), Little Rock had nine players available for Wednesday’s game and used eight of them.
Bankston, who scored eight points in the first half and none in the second, fouled out with 12:25 remaining in the game. With four fouls, Maric sat for most of the second half and played seven total minutes.
“We’re young,” Walker said. “And we’re not very smart right now.”
The Trojans cut the Bears’ lead to 58-51 with 9:48 to go on Rayjon Tucker’s layup. Khaleem Bennett scored four points and Thatch Unruh hit a three-pointer as Central Arkansas reeled off the next nine points for a 67-51 lead with 7:45 remaining. The lead did not dip below eight points the rest of the way.
Little Rock shot 40.9 percent, 27 of 66, from the floor and made 7 of 25 3-pointers, 28 percent. Central Arkansas shot 50.9 percent from the field, 27 of 53, and made 10 of 20 3-pointers, 50 percent.
“When you play these guys, it’s going to be a street brawl, and you better be ready to put your big-boy pants on and come and play,” Pennell said. “I thought, for the most part, we did that tonight.”
Four Bears finished with double figures, including sophomore guard DeAndre Jones, who scored a career-high 23. Sophomore center Hayden Koval had 15 points, senior guard Unruh scored 13 and freshman guard Bennett finished with 10.
Tucker, a junior guard, led all Trojans with 20 points. Junior guard Ryan Pippins chipped in 14 points, but he was 6 of 16 from the floor.