ST. CHARLES, Mo. – DeAntoni Gordon notched a career-high 35 points and Little Rock built a 17-point second half lead with just under seven minutes to go. But a furious Lindenwood rally forced overtime, and the Lions hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to hand the Trojans a heartbreaking 97-96 loss, knocking the Trojans out of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.
Gordon's career-high 35 points came on 14-of-18 shooting as he went 7-of-8 from the free throw line, grabbing nine rebounds with six assists, two steals and a block. He became the second Trojan to surpass 30 points this season and scored the most points in a game since Rayjon Tucker's 36 against Louisiana in 2019.
Gordon was one of five Trojans to finish in double figures, followed by 18 points from
Myron Gardner, who added five rebounds.
CJ White closed his collegiate career with a double-double, finishing with 13 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, once again flirting with a triple-double.
Jordan Jefferson added 14 points for Little Rock, including eight in the overtime period as he was 2-for-2 from three and 2-for-3 from the foul line, accounting for eight of the Trojans' 13 points in the extra stanza.
Isaiah Palermo added 11 points as well on 5-of-8 shooting, including the go-ahead basket with 12 seconds left in overtime.
Those five Trojans combined for 91 of Little Rock's 96 points on the night with
D.J. Smith adding the other five. Little Rock closed the game shooting 54.5% from the floor (36-of-66), including going 10-for-26 from three point range (38.5%) and hitting 14-of-17 from the free throw line (82.4%).
Lindenwood finished 46.0% from the floor, making 29-of-63 shots, but was efficient from three point range, tying an opponent season-high with 14 three pointers made on 27 attempts (51.9%). The Lions also held a significant edge from the free throw line, making 25 of their 30 attempts (83.3%).
Little Rock outrebounded Lindenwood 36-33 as the Trojans held a 34-26 edge in points in the paint. But The Lions took advantage on the fast break, outscoring the Trojans 21-10. For the game, the two teams combined for 16 ties and 17 lead changes, setting season-highs in both categories for Little Rock.
Playing for the final spot in the OVC Tournament, Little Rock and Lindenwood battled back and forth through the opening 20 minutes, combining for 11 ties and 10 lead changes. Neither team led by more than six as Lindenwood began to pull away late in the first half, building a 33-27 lead with 3:39 remaining.
But Little Rock responded with a 14-4 run of its own, building a four-point lead at 41-37 with 17 second remaining off a dunk from Gordon. The Lions added a pair of free throws, trimming the Trojan lead to 41-39 at the half. Little Rock shot 53.1% in the opening 20 minutes as Gordon scored 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting.
Little Rock slowly began to extend its lead in the second half, leading by as many as 17 on three separate occasions, the last of which came at the 4:54 mark behind a pair of free throws from Gardner. But as it did both in the first meeting between the two teams, as well as Thursday night against Southeast Missouri, Lindenwood roared back, outscoring the Trojans 19-2 over the final 4:54 to force overtime.
The overtime period was a back-and-forth affair as the Trojans and Lions combined for four ties and seven lead changes. Neither team led by more than one possession as the Trojans build a three point lead at 94-91 with 1:42 remaining.
Lindenwood answered with its 13th three of the game at 1:25, tying the game at 94-94. Palermo made a driving layup to the basket with 12 seconds remaining, putting the Trojans back on top at 96-94. The Lions held for one final shot and Kevin Caldwell hit a long three as time expired, giving Lindenwood the 97-96 overtime win and ending the Trojans' season in heartbreaking fashion.
Little Rock ends its inaugural season in the OVC at 6-12 in conference games, tied with Lindenwood in eighth place. But the Lions earned the tiebreaker for the final spot, taking both games against the Trojans to earn the head-to-head tiebreaker.
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