UL Lafayette trips UALR 83-79 in OT
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) Junior Shawn Long had 23 points and 12 rebounds for his 40th career double-double, Kasey Shepherd added 20 points and UL Lafayette pulled out an 83-79 win over UALR in the Sun Belt opener for both teams on Tuesday night.
The Ragin' Cajuns (7-5) never trailed in overtime as UALR missed five shots and three free throws.
James White had 19 points and Josh Hagins 17 for the Trojans (5-6).
When Brian Williams made a pair of free throws midway through the second half UL Lafayette led 68-54. But Hagins made a pair of 3-pointers to bookend an 11-0 run for the Trojans.
Johnathan Stove ended the Cajuns' near 6-mintue drought but UALR reeled off the next seven points to lead 72-70 with 1:35 to go.
With the Trojans up 74-72, Jay Wright made the first of two free throws but Bryce Washington rebounded the miss and was fouled with 29 seconds left. He made the second free throw to force overtime.
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Arkansas State beats South Alabama 63-60 in OT
MOBILE, Ala. (AP) Anthony Livingston had 16 points and 13 rebounds on Tuesday night and Arkansas State outlasted South Alabama in overtime 63-60 in the Sun Belt opener for both teams.
Arkansas State (6-4) never trailed in the overtime period, taking a five-point lead twice in the final 1:09.
Taishaun Johnson's 3-pointer pulled South Alabama (2-9) within 62-60 with 29 seconds left. The Jaguars promptly sent Cameron Golden to the foul line where he made 1 of 2 to put the Red Wolves up three. South Alabama missed two 3-pointers in the closing seconds.
Johnson also made a 3-pointer to cap the second-half scoring at 53-all with 1:29 left.
Golden and Nouhoum Bocoum finished with 14 points and six rebounds. P.J. Hardwick added six assists and four steals for A-State.
Dionte Ferguson's 18 points and 13 rebounds led the Jaguars. Johnson added 17 points and John Brown 10.
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UT Arlington beats Georgia Southern 62-61
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Lonnie McClanahan scored the game-winner with 14 seconds left to lift Texas-Arlington to a 62-61 victory over Georgia Southern in the Sun Belt Conference opener for both teams Tuesday night.
Mike Hughes missed a 3-point attempt, but Eric Ferguson grabbed the rebound and made a layup to give Georgia Southern its first lead of the game, 61-60, with 26 seconds left before McClanahan scored the go-ahead bucket. The Eagles couldn't answer when Trent Wiedeman missed a shot with four seconds left to end it.
Jamel Outler and Johnny Hill scored 11 points apiece to lead the Mavericks (7-4, 1-0), who have won four straight. McClanahan finished with seven points.
UT Arlington held Georgia Southern guard Jelani Hewitt, the nation's third-leading scorer, to just six points on 1-of-11 shooting after coming in averaging 23 points.
Ferguson had 17 points and 16 rebounds, and Wiedeman 13 points for Georgia Southern (7-3, 0-1).
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Georgia State rallies to beat UL Monroe 65-45
ATLANTA (AP) R.J. Hunter scored 18 points and Markus Crider scored 13 and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Georgia State to a 65-45 comeback win over UL Monroe in the Sun Belt opener for both teams on Tuesday.
The Panthers (8-4) outshot the Warhawks 44.4 percent to 28.3 percent from the field and hit 13 of 16 free throws (81.3 percent).
UL Monroe pulled to a 14-7 lead on a 3-pointer by Nick Coppola, but the Panthers rallied and led 20-17 after Hunter hit two free throws and a 3-pointer. Marvin Williams and Mac Foster each made layups and the Warhawks led 26-23 at halftime.
Georgia State pulled within a point, 33-32, after Crider made two free throws, and then pulled ahead 45-36 after Ryan Harrow made back-to-back layups and a free throw and Hunter hit two free throws and a jumper.
The Warhawks (6-6) made only 5 of 17 3-point attempts.
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Texas State defeats Troy 57-46 in Sun Belt opener
TROY, Ala. (AP) Ethan Montalvo hit six 3-pointers to finish with 20 points and Texas State defeated Troy 57-46 in the Sun Belt Conference opener for both teams Tuesday night.
Wesley Davis chipped in 13 points and Emani Gant had 10 for the Bobcats (7-3, 1-0). Texas State shot 42.9 percent from the field and outrebounded Troy 41-25.
Troy (5-5, 0-1) built an early 15-6 lead, but the Bobcats closed with a 23-0 run sparked by a trio of 3-pointers from Montalvo to lead 29-15 at halftime. The Trojans opened the game hitting 3 of 5 shots, but managed just one field goal the rest of the half and missed their last 13, finishing 4 of 22 in the opening period.
Troy came back to tie it at 41, but Texas State reeled of a 10-0 run to seal it with 2:17 left.
Musa Abdul-Aleem led Troy with 20 points on 6-of-14 shooting.