PENSACOLA, Fla. — Freshman Jordan Jefferson scored a career-high 24 points, including going 8-of-9 from 3-point range, helping propel 12th-seeded Little Rock to an upset victory over fifth-seeded South Alabama 75-71 at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament at the Pensacola Bay Center.
The upset win by the Trojans is Little Rock’s first in the Sun Belt tournament since capturing the 2016 tournament title, snapping a four-game losing skid to end the season. Little Rock has now won eight of the last 11 in the series against South Alabama as head coach Darrell Walker improves to 4-2 against the Jaguars.
The 24 points by Jefferson is the most by a Trojan in a Sun Belt tournament game since Leroy Isler scored 25 in the infamous four overtime game against Arkansas State in 2014. His eight 3-pointers is the most-ever in a postseason game for Little Rock and the most in a game since Markquis Nowell’s eight at ULM in 2019, one off the program’s single game record.
Jefferson was one of four Trojans to finish in double figures, followed by 14 points off the bench from senior CJ White, 11 of which came in the second half. White was 3-of-9 from the floor but a clutch 6-for-6 from the free throw line, making four-straight in the final 1:17 to preserve the win, while also pulling down six rebounds with five assists.
Myron Gardner finished with 12 points and seven rebounds with five assists, as he was also efficient from the free throw line, making all four of his free throws. Nikola Maric added 11 points as well, going 4-for-4 from the floor and 3-for-4 from the line, becoming the 21st member of the Little Rock 1,000-point club in the process. Maric also pulled down five rebounds before fouling out.
Jovan Stulic added six points with Isaiah Palermo scoring five and D.J. Smith adding three, as Little Rock shot 48.9% from the floor (23-of-47), winning this game from both 3-point range and at the free throw line. The Trojans knocked down 14-of-24 three pointers (58.3%) and were 15-of-16 from the free throw line (93.8%), as well as outrebounding the taller Jaguars 29-27.
Little Rock’s first 20 minutes went about as well as it could for the Trojans, as Little Rock scored the first seven points of the game and led for all but one minute. A 3-pointer from Smith set the tone, followed by back-to-back shots from Maric to give the Trojans the 7-0 lead after the first two minutes.
The 3 by Smith sparked the Trojan shooters, who went 9-for-14 from three points range, including 5-for-7 from Jefferson, who led all scorers with 15 points in the first half. Five different Trojans knocked down a 3 in the opening 20 minutes, shooting 57.7% from the floor.
South Alabama clawed to within one on a pair of occasions early in the half, ultimately taking the lead on a 3-pointer at the 12:21 mark at 14-13. But that sparked a 15-4 Little Rock run, as the Trojans built a 10-point lead at 28-18 with 7:45 left in the half behind back-to-back 3s from Jefferson and White.
The back-to-back 3s were the start of five-straight 3-point field goals for Little Rock, three of which came from Jefferson, as the Trojans kept the Jaguars at bay. Leading by nine, South Alabama would cut the deficit to three at 34-31, then down to one at 37-36 with 1:31 to play.
But Little Rock scored the final five points of the half, including a layup from Maric that gave him his 1,000th career point, followed by a layup and another from Gardner to give the Trojans the 42-36 halftime lead. That lead came despite South Alabama shooting 54.2% from the floor but the Jaguars were just 2-for-7 from three point range.
Little Rock continued its offensive attack in the second half, as a jumper from Gordon pushed the lead back to eight at 44-36. South Alabama struggled from the floor, but used free throws to chip away at the Little Rock lead, getting to within three at 46-43 with 14:43 remaining.
The Trojans’ 3-point attack carried over into the second half, as four-straight field goals for Little Rock came from beyond the arc, including a pair from Jefferson, helped the Trojans push their lead back to eight at 60-52 with 8:15 remaining.
Free throw shooting helped Little Rock maintain its lead, holding a 66-59 advantage with 5:48 remaining before South Alabama went on a 7-0 run, tying the game up at 66-66 with 4:30 left.
Jefferson’s final 3 of the game and a clutch jumper from White, along with some key defensive stops, but the Trojans on top 71-66 with just over two minutes remaining. Little Rock and South Alabama would exchange free throws over the final 120 seconds, with the Jaguars getting within two at 73-71 with 12 seconds left.
But a key rebound by White, followed by the senior knocking down the two biggest free throws of his Trojan career, gave Little Rock the advantage it needed to secure the upset victory. The free throws secured the win in which the Trojans led for 38:19, allowing South Alabama the led for just 60 seconds with just one tie and two lead changes.
South Alabama closed out the game shooting 47.8% (22-of-46) but were just 4-of-13 (30.8%) from 3-point range and 23-of-30 from the charity stripe. The Jaguars were led by 26 points from Charles Manning Jr. and 15 from Tyrell Jones.
With the win, Little Rock advances to the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt tournament, advancing to play fourth seeded Troy. Opening tip in the final Battle of Trojans will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Pensacola Bay Center.
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