Arkansas-Little Rock Holds Off Florida Atlantic, 66-60

Sunday, March 9

Mobile, Ala.

7:30 PM

Florida Atlantic

Little Rock

3/9/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball

March 9, 2008

Box Score | Quotes | Notes | Action Photos

MOBILE, Ala. -- Mike Smith scored 18 points and Steven Moore had 17 to lead Arkansas-Little Rock to a 66-60 win over Florida Atlantic Sunday night in the Sun Belt Conference quarterfinal round at the Mitchell Center in Mobile.

Florida Atlantic (15-18) rallied from a 14-point second half deficit, cutting the lead to three with 2:21 remaining before Arkansas-Little Rock escaped with the win.

The Trojans (20-10) sank four consecutive free throws over the final 7 seconds after struggling for most of the game, shooting just 10-of-28 from the line before the closing moments, winning their fifth straight to move on to the tournament's semifinals.

The game was slowed to a crawl in the early stages due to a series of turnovers and fouls committed by both teams. During the first five minutes of play the scoreboard reflected 11 turnovers and four fouls, all before the combined score would reach 10 points.

The lead changed hands five times in the first half, with the first FAU advantage coming when a Brett Royster blocked shot led to a Derrick Simmons lay-up and a 15-14 Owls' lead with 7 minutes remaining before halftime. Moments later Simmons connected on a deep three-point attempt, and on the subsequent FAU possession Paul Graham III made an acrobatic basket in transition to put the Owls up 20-18.

UALR closed the half on a 16-4 run, highlighted by one of Moore's three three-pointers, with Terrance Akins adding a triple as well with 16 seconds on the clock to take a 10-point lead into the locker room, 34-24.

FAU scored the first four points of the second half but would not get any closer than six, until 14 minutes later.

Mike Smith's baseline jump shot gave UALR a twelve-point lead with 10:59 remaining and the Trojans took its biggest lead of 14, 49-35, on John Fowler's lay-up at the 10:05 mark.

FAU shot just 31.8 % from the field on Sunday night, feeding off its full-court pressure to spark its second half comeback. A Xavier Perkins triple and a pair of baskets by Carderro Nwoji put FAU within four, 51-47, with 6:04 left.

One of UALR's 19 turnovers, a steal by Nwoji, allowed Graham a breakaway basket and three-point play with 2:21 remaining, putting FAU within three, 55-52. Graham led the Owls with 15 points.

UALR could not capitalize on a number of free throws down the stretch, including two freebies stemming from a Rex Walters technical foul under the two minute mark, but Shane Edwards hit a key three-pointer with 1:26 remaining to extend the Trojans lead to six, 56-52.

FAU had cut the lead down to a basket on a pair of Graham free throws before Brandon Patterson rolled in a lay-up with 17.6 on the clock to push the advantage back to four, 62-58.

The Trojans overcame its poor free-throw shooting night to connect on its final four, claiming the game- one that marks the end of the 2007-08 season for FAU.

-Nick Mirkovich (FAU Media Relations)-