Southern Miss (11-2) shot 60.9 percent over the final 20 minutes and turned a fivepoint halftime lead into a 74-60 victory over UALR (4-7) on Saturday in the final of the BVI Tropical Shootout at the Multi-Purpose Complex in Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
Trailing 33-28 at the half, UALR went inside to senior Will Neighbour for the first basket of the second half to make it a three-point game. But that would be as close as the Trojans would get, as the Southern Miss lead increased to 10 on a free throw by Jerrold Brooks with 14:42 left to play.
The Golden Eagles lead grew as large as 22 on a three-pointer by Neil Watson to make it 62-40 with 9:08 remaining.
Sophomore James White led UALR, tying a career-best with 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting and five rebounds. Neighbour scored 12 points as the only other Trojan to score at least 10 points. Sophomore Josh Hagins scored nine points, including two three-pointers.
UALR led by as many as five points in the first half and held a 28-27 lead with 2:08 left.
The Trojans were unable to preserve the lead, however, as Southern Miss went inside for the final six points to take their five-point halftime advantage.
There were six ties andeight lead changes in the first half.
UALR shot 50 percent from the floor over the first 20 minutes while limiting Southern Miss to just 36.7 percent shooting from the floor. The Golden Eagles were able to connect on 9 of 10 free-throw attempts, however, and forced the Trojans into nine first-half turnovers.
UALR returns to action Dec. 30 against Grambling State at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock.
ARKANSAS STATE 83, MARSHALL 82
Arkansas State opened the game with five three-pointers, including three by Brandon Reed, as part of a 19-5 run and held on to defeat Marshall in Huntington, W.Va.
The margin came down to a missed three-pointer by Marshall’s Kareem Canty that became a putback by Ryan Taylor at the buzzer.
Arkansas State (6-4) had a second burst of five three-pointers, including three consecutive by Kirk Van Slyke, in a 22-6 run to lead 47-31 at halftime.
Marshall outscored the Red Wolves 51-36 in the second half. Canty scored 22 points, including 12 on four three-pointers after halftime. TyQuane Goard, who came in averaging six points, scored a career-high 21 points with 13 rebounds. He and Canty combined for 13 points to cut a double-digit lead to 76-74.
Reed matched a season high with 21 points for Arkansas State, while Van Slyke and Melvin Johnson III added 16 each.
SOUTHLAND MEN CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 97, CENTRAL ARKANSAS 90, 2 OT
Central Arkansas’ inability to convert from the free-throw line was the difference in a 97-90 loss to Charleston Southern in double overtime Saturday afternoon at the Farris Center in Conway.
The Buccaneers (4-6) made 23 of 33 from the free-throw line, including 8 of 8 in the overtime periods, to hold offthe Bears (2-7). UCA was just 14 of 30 (46.7 percent) from the line, and made just 8 of 22 in the second half and overtimes combined.
“You shoot 46 percent at the line, you’re not going to win the big games,” UCA interim coach Clarence Finley said. “We had a great opportunity. We did everything we could possibly do to be in the game at the end, but we just couldn’t make the free throws.”
UCA had numerous chances to put away the game in regulation but misfired six times at the line in the final 1:25.
Senior guard LaQuentin Miles, in his first action since regaining his academic eligibility, missed twice with the score tied with two seconds remaining.
Miles finished with a game-high 28 points, one shy of tying his career high in 48 minutes of action. He added 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. Senior DeShone McClure added 20 points, making three of UCA’s 10 three-pointers.
The Buccaneers took an early lead in the first overtime on two free throws from Matt Kennedy, but Miles hit a long three-pointer for an 82-81 UCA lead. Neither team managed to score for the next three minutes until Charleston Southern added two more free throws by Arlon Harper with 1:41 to play.
Tirrell Brown, also playing his first game of the year, scored inside for the Bears for an 84-83 lead, but Lenell Brown missed a free throw and Miles turned over the ball. Charleston Southern returned the favor and McClure turned it into a dunk and an 86-83 lead with 33 seconds to play.
Sports, Pages 27 on 12/22/2013