Troy University Athletics
Saturday, January 2
Troy, Ala.
4:15 p.m.
Troy University
5-8, 0-2
61
vs
67
Little Rock
12-1, 2-0
1
2
F
Little Rock
29
38
67
Troy
34
27
61
Team Stats
LR
TROY
FG%
.442
.345
3FG%
.389
.417
FT%
.700
.591
RB
40
35
TO
11
9
STL
7
6
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
18
FGM
5
3FGM
3
FTM
5
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
9
FGM
2
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Basketball (M)
G
/ Basketball (M)G
/ Basketball (M)F
/ Basketball (M)
F
/ Basketball (M)Photo by: Chris Davis
Little Rock Slips Past Troy
1/2/2016 7:14:00 PM | Basketball (M)
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TROY, Alabama – Marcus Johnson, Jr., scored 22 points off the bench to lead Little Rock past Troy, 67-61, Saturday afternoon in Sun Belt Conference action at Trojan Arena.
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Little Rock (12-1, 2-0 Sun Belt), who is off to the best overall start in Sun Belt history, entered the game with the nation's top defense having allowed just 55.2 points per game. Troy (5-8, 0-2) was on a 68-point pace at the half and entered the locker room with a 34-29 lead thanks in part to a 13-2 run over the final 2:51 of the period.
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However, Little Rock quickly grabbed a one-point lead, 35-34, less than two minutes into the second half and grabbed the lead for good on a Johnson layup with 16:54 to play in the game.
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After shooting 41 percent from the floor in the opening half, Troy struggled to buy a bucket after the break as it shot just 26 percent after the break, which included a run of 9:15 without a field goal.
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Jordon Varnado just missed out on his sixth double-double of the season as he finished with 18 points and nine rebounds, while Kelton Ford added 10 points and three assists off the bench. Wesley Person failed to reach double figures for just the sixth time in his career as he finished with nine points and seven rebounds. John Walton III added nine boards and Daniel Peace dished out four assists.
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Little Rock led by as many as nine points a couple of times in the second half, but Troy had an opportunity in the final minutes. Walton hit a pair of free throws with two minutes remaining to close the gap to six, 61-55, and Varnado buried his third 3-pointer of the game with 48 seconds remaining to make it a three-point game.
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However, Little Rock converted 5-of-6 from the line down the stretch, including four from Johnson, to seal the victory. Little Rock hit on 14-of-20 from the charity stripe in the game, while Troy struggled at the line hitting of just 13-of-22 on the afternoon.
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Jalen Jackson hit on 8-of-11 shots and finished with 18 points off the Little Rock bench, while Maurius Hill added eight points and 12 rebounds. Johnson, Jackson and Hill combined to 17-of-29 (58.6 percent) from the floor, while the rest of the Little Rock team was just 6-of-23 (26 percent).
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Troy jumped out to an 11-2 lead out of the gate thanks to a pair of 3-pointers from Varnado and one from Person around a Walton layup. Little Rock responded with a 22-5 run to grab a 24-16 lead around the seven-minute mark of the half.
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Troy hits the road for the first time in league play next week when they head to Georgia for a pair of games against Georgia State (Thursday) and Georgia Southern (Saturday).
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TROY, Alabama – Marcus Johnson, Jr., scored 22 points off the bench to lead Little Rock past Troy, 67-61, Saturday afternoon in Sun Belt Conference action at Trojan Arena.
Â
Little Rock (12-1, 2-0 Sun Belt), who is off to the best overall start in Sun Belt history, entered the game with the nation's top defense having allowed just 55.2 points per game. Troy (5-8, 0-2) was on a 68-point pace at the half and entered the locker room with a 34-29 lead thanks in part to a 13-2 run over the final 2:51 of the period.
Â
However, Little Rock quickly grabbed a one-point lead, 35-34, less than two minutes into the second half and grabbed the lead for good on a Johnson layup with 16:54 to play in the game.
Â
After shooting 41 percent from the floor in the opening half, Troy struggled to buy a bucket after the break as it shot just 26 percent after the break, which included a run of 9:15 without a field goal.
Â
Jordon Varnado just missed out on his sixth double-double of the season as he finished with 18 points and nine rebounds, while Kelton Ford added 10 points and three assists off the bench. Wesley Person failed to reach double figures for just the sixth time in his career as he finished with nine points and seven rebounds. John Walton III added nine boards and Daniel Peace dished out four assists.
Â
Little Rock led by as many as nine points a couple of times in the second half, but Troy had an opportunity in the final minutes. Walton hit a pair of free throws with two minutes remaining to close the gap to six, 61-55, and Varnado buried his third 3-pointer of the game with 48 seconds remaining to make it a three-point game.
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However, Little Rock converted 5-of-6 from the line down the stretch, including four from Johnson, to seal the victory. Little Rock hit on 14-of-20 from the charity stripe in the game, while Troy struggled at the line hitting of just 13-of-22 on the afternoon.
Â
Jalen Jackson hit on 8-of-11 shots and finished with 18 points off the Little Rock bench, while Maurius Hill added eight points and 12 rebounds. Johnson, Jackson and Hill combined to 17-of-29 (58.6 percent) from the floor, while the rest of the Little Rock team was just 6-of-23 (26 percent).
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Troy jumped out to an 11-2 lead out of the gate thanks to a pair of 3-pointers from Varnado and one from Person around a Walton layup. Little Rock responded with a 22-5 run to grab a 24-16 lead around the seven-minute mark of the half.
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Troy hits the road for the first time in league play next week when they head to Georgia for a pair of games against Georgia State (Thursday) and Georgia Southern (Saturday).
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