NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Interstat) — Aaron Nkrumah scored 22 points and Tennessee State used a decisive second-half surge to pull away from Arkansas-Little Rock for a 70-63 victory in an Ohio Valley Conference men’s basketball game Thursday night at Howard Gentry Complex.

The Tigers, who entered as heavy favorites, overcame a sluggish first half and a five-point deficit at intermission by outscoring the Trojans 40-28 after the break. The win improved Tennessee State to 14-7 overall, while Arkansas-Little Rock fell to 9-12.

The most critical phase of the game unfolded in the final eight minutes. Leading 53-51, Tennessee State engineered a 13-2 run that effectively sealed the outcome. The spurt was fueled by defense and transition offense, hallmarks of the Tigers’ second-half performance. It began with a steal by Nkrumah, which led to a Travis Harper dunk off a Nkrumah assist. After a Carlous Williams free throw, Cameron Wallace briefly interrupted the run with a dunk for the Trojans. Tennessee State then scored eight unanswered points, capped by a Travis Harper 3-pointer from Dante Harris with 1:41 remaining that pushed the lead to 66-55, the largest of the night for either team.

Arkansas-Little Rock, which led 35-30 at halftime, could not sustain its early efficiency. The Trojans shot just 35.8% from the floor for the game and a frigid 26.9% from 3-point range. Their offensive rating of 87.2 on 72 possessions underscored their struggles to generate clean looks against an active Tennessee State defense.

The Tigers, conversely, found their rhythm after halftime, shooting 48.1% from the field overall and posting an offensive rating of 101.6. A key disparity came in fastbreak points, where Tennessee State held a commanding 20-8 advantage, exploiting Trojan turnovers and missed shots to create easy opportunities.

Nkrumah, a 6-foot-6 guard from Worcester, Massachusetts, was the catalyst. In addition to his game-high 22 points, he dished out six assists, grabbed six defensive rebounds, and recorded three steals in 36 minutes. His performance continued a strong stretch of play, following recent outings of 22, 13, and 24 points.

Harper, from Columbus, Georgia, provided vital support with 16 points, and Jalen Pitre of Long Beach, California, added 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Carlous Williams chipped in 14 points off the bench for the Tigers.

Arkansas-Little Rock was led by Johnathan Lawson’s 16 points. The Memphis native also contributed three steals. Braxton Bayless and Cameron Wallace each scored 13 points, with Wallace pulling down six offensive rebounds. Tuongthach Gatkek added 10 points and three blocks for the Trojans.

The game began as a defensive struggle, with both teams committing early turnovers. Tennessee State opened the scoring with a Harper dunk just 30 seconds in, but Arkansas-Little Rock weathered the initial burst and built its halftime lead behind Lawson’s outside shooting and persistent work on the offensive glass, where they held an 11-8 edge.

The second half, however, belonged to the home team. Tennessee State quickly erased the deficit, tying the game at 40-40 on a Gatkek jumper with 13:30 to play. The teams traded baskets until the Tigers’ decisive late run, fueled by their defense and Nkrumah’s playmaking, finally created separation that the offensively challenged Trojans could not overcome.

The victory completed a regular-season sweep for Tennessee State, which also defeated Arkansas-Little Rock 84-79 on Jan. 3. The Tigers will look to build on the win when they host Eastern Illinois next Thursday. The Trojans, mired in a two-game skid, travel to face Tennessee Tech on Saturday.