Ouachita Baptist edges Little Rock 81-79

Nov 12, 2017, 12:21 am

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Jontavis Willis scored 18 points, including four 3-pointers, and Ouachita Baptist held off Little Rock for an 81-79 win Saturday.

Matt Stanley hit all three of his shots from 3-point range and finished with 15 points, Mahlon Martin and Wesley Franklin added 11 points apiece and Aitor Lopez-Breton had 10 for Ouachita Baptist, an NCAA Division II program.

The Tigers took the lead for good with a 9-1 spurt to close out the opening half and carried a 40-34 advantage into the break. Trey Harris had a 3-pointer during the go-ahead run.

Little Rock outscored Ouachita Baptist 45-41 over the final 20 minutes and closed the gap to two with Damir Hadzic's layup just ahead of the buzzer in what was the season opener for the Trojans.

The series between Little Rock and Ouachita Baptist stretches back to 1945, though Saturday's game marked the first meeting in nearly 50 years between them. Ouachita Baptist holds a 24-2 advantage in the series.