UALR's attempt at winning consecutive Sun Belt Conference games for the first time this season was thwarted by its worst offensive performance of the year.
The Trojans were held to 18 first-half points, then scoreless for the first five minutes of the second half in a 56-49 loss to Texas State on Saturday in San Marcos, Texas.
The Trojans, who beat Appalachian State on Monday night, shot a season-low 30.2 percent from the floor while tying their lowest scoring total since a victory at San Diego State in November 2015.
UALR (13-12, 4-8 Sun Belt), which has lost five of its past six, cut a 39-27 deficit with 4:42 left to 44-40 with 1:36 left, but Texas State's Kavin Gilder-Tilbury's three-pointer with 1:08 left sealed the victory at Strahan Coliseum.
Gilder-Tilbury had 15 points in a game where both offenses struggled. Texas State (14-9, 7-4) shot 35.4 percent (17 of 48), was 5 of 13 from three-point range and 17 of 30 from the free-throw line.
But the Bobcats led the Trojans for more than 32 minutes, including the final 26 after Nijal Pearson's jumper made it 15-14 with 6:17 left in the first half.
UALR started 2 of 12 from the field through the first nine minutes of the game. Kemy Osse made 3 of 6 three-pointers and finished with 13 points, while Marcus Johnson Jr. missed his first eight shots before finishing with 11 points. Jalen Jackson had eight points for the Trojans.
Osse scored nine points in the final 3:13 while trying to keep UALR in it, the last of which made it 51-45 with 36 seconds left. But Texas State made two free throws on each of its next two possessions to prevent a comeback.
SOUTHLAND MEN
CENTRAL ARKANSAS 106, NICHOLLS STATE 83
Nicholls State made one more three-pointer than Central Arkansas on Saturday in Conway, but it didn't keep the Bears from winning their fourth consecutive game.
Jordan Howard made his first eight three-pointers and didn't miss one until 6:43 left in the game on his way to 33 points, Derreck Brooks made 6 of 8 threes while finishing with 29 points and three others made one each for the Bears, who shot 56.5 percent from the floor (35 of 62) and made 17 of 28 three-pointers in breaking 100 points for the second time this season.
Lafayette Rutledge made 9 of 22 three-pointers for the Colonels (11-14, 4-8), who made 18 of 48 for the game.
Howard's eight three-pointers were one off a school record as he broke 30 points for the third time this season.
Nicholls State jumped out to a 7-2 lead and led throughout the first 10 minutes, but UCA (8-18, 7-6 Southland) ended the first half on a 12-3 run to take a 50-41 lead, a span started by a three from Aaron Weidenaar and ended on a layup by Howard.
Howard then made 3 three-pointers in the first 2½ minutes of the second half to push their lead to 63-44. Nicholls State cut the lead to 81-74 with 10:24 left, but UCA's Jeff Lowery answered with a three-pointer and Howard added three free throws to make it 87-74. UCA led by 11 or more the rest of the game.
Sports on 02/12/2017