LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Interstat) — SIU Edwardsville avenged an earlier loss by defeating Arkansas-Little Rock 71-61 in a men’s NCAA Division I basketball game Saturday at Jack Stephens Center. The Cougars used a dominant first half to build a lead the Trojans could not overcome.

SIU Edwardsville led 33-23 at halftime, fueled by efficient shooting while holding Arkansas-Little Rock to just 23 first-half points. The Cougars shot 45.5% from the field overall and made 13 of 15 free throws. Tyler King led SIU Edwardsville with 19 points, and Jack Campion added 16 points and eight assists.

Johnathan Lawson scored 18 points for the Trojans, who shot 32.9% from the floor. Arkansas-Little Rock closed the gap in the second half but never drew closer than 10 points. The Cougars improved to 16-9, while the Trojans fell to 9-16.