SIUE Men's Basketball Team Secures Third Consecutive Victory with Win Over Little Rock
The SIUE men's basketball team secured their third consecutive victory by defeating Little Rock 71-61 at the Jack Stephens Center. This win marks their second three-game winning streak of the season and their sixth victory in the last seven games. With a record of 9-5 in the Ohio Valley Conference and 16-9 overall, the Cougars are currently tied for third place in the league. Additionally, SIUE set a new program record at the Division I level with an 8-5 record in true road games.
During the first half, the Cougars held Little Rock to just 26 percent shooting and maintained a double-digit lead for most of the period. SIUE went on a 13-0 run after leading 14-10, extending their advantage to 32-12 with 3:28 remaining in the half. Despite a late 11-1 run by Little Rock, the Cougars held a 33-23 lead at halftime.
In the second half, SIUE started strong, hitting four of their first six shots and increasing their lead to 15 points (43-28) at the first media timeout. Although Little Rock managed to narrow the gap to six points with a 9-0 run, they could not get any closer. A technical foul on Little Rock's Jonathan Lawson allowed Jack Campion to extend SIUE's lead to 59-49 with 4:43 left. The Cougars maintained a comfortable lead for the remainder of the game.
Jack Campion nearly achieved a triple-double with 16 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists, while Tyler King led the team with 19 points. Darrion Baker contributed 12 points and six rebounds to the victory. SIUE shot 50 percent in the second half and 46 percent overall, while Little Rock shot 33 percent from the field. Lawson led the Trojans with 18 points.
The Cougars will return home for their next two games, starting with a matchup against UT Martin at First Community Arena on Thursday at 7:30.