Usually before speaking to the media after games, Darrell Walker will circle statistics in the box scores that tell the story of the contest.
After a 67-60 loss at the Jack Stephens Center to Sun Belt Conference-leading Texas State on Saturday, Walker took a black pen and circled one item -- turnovers.
Although the Bobcats (21-5, 10-3 Sun Belt) turned the Trojans' 16 turnovers into only 14 points, the sting wasn't softened for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock head coach.
"Doesn't matter," Walker said. "We didn't get an attempt at the basket. That's what a turnover is to me. When I don't get an attempt at that basket, that's bad for us. That's really bad for us."
After a 56-52 victory Thursday against the University of Texas at Arlington, Saturday's turnovers doomed the Trojans' chance at upsetting a first-place team in the Sun Belt for a second time in three days.
"It's a tough loss," said Walker, whose team suffered its first loss since Feb. 2. "But I'm proud of the guys with the way we competed. We had a chance to win.
"That's a good basketball team, the No. 1 team in the conference right now. We had the chances down the line, and we didn't get it done."
The Trojans (10-16, 5-8) cut a 36-26 halftime deficit to 63-60 on junior guard Rayjon Tucker's layup with 1:26 remaining. After stopping the Bobcats on the next possession, UALR senior forward Dani Koljanin turned the ball over with 43 seconds remaining. Texas State made all four of its free-throw attempts in the final 19 seconds to seal the victory.
Trailing by nine with 5:15 remaining, UALR freshman center Nikola Maric muscled in a contested layup, was fouled and made the free throw to cut Texas State's lead to 57-51.
Junior guard Deondre Burns, who earned his second start of the season while sophomore guard Jaizec Lottie (hand) was sidelined with an injury, made two free throws to bring UALR within 57-53 with 4:43 remaining.
The Bobcats countered with a 4-0 run of their own, including a wide-open layup from senior guard Tre Nottingham. Burns was trapped at half court as UALR's shot clock was expiring with 3:26 to go, and Nottingham ripped the ball away and scored his easiest two points of the evening.
Three free throws from Burns and UALR freshman forward Kamani Johnson sliced UALR's deficit to 63-58 with 1:40 on the clock.
Nottingham and Texas State junior guard Nijal Pearson combined for 34 points on 13-of-30 shooting, including 6 of 16 from three-point range.
Maric finished with 17 points in a season-high 38 minutes for UALR. Tucker led the Trojans with 20 points in 40 minutes, his sixth time playing an entire game this season.
The Bobcats, who boast a starting lineup of five juniors or seniors, maintained first place in the Sun Belt with the victory.
"It just came down to execution and maturity," Tucker said. "Them being seasoned and having older guys on the team, that's all it is."
Sports on 02/17/2019