Dylan Hurst Staff Writer The Trojans lost their stride in the second half, falling 73-59 against Sun Belt Conference foe Little Rock at the Jack Stephens Center on Friday night. Troy struggled with three-point shots on Friday, shooting only 4-of-20 (20 percent), while Little Rock shot 16-of-30 (53.3 percent) during the game. Trojan Senior Jordon Varnado recorded yet another double-double, his fourth of the season, as well as a game-high 26 points and 11 rebounds. Teammate Javan Johnson posted nine points, six rebounds, two blocks and an assist, while senior Alex Hicks narrowly missed adding a second double-double to the record, scoring eight points and grabbing 11 rebounds. The Trojans, despite being 1-of-11 (9.1 percent) on three-point shots in the first half, took a 29-27 lead heading into halftime. Troy, after briefly losing the lead, fought Little Rock for the next 3:30 of the game, and the lead stayed either in Troy’s favor or tied. However, after Little Rock gained a 40-37 lead, they held the lead for the remainder of the game, winning with a final score of 73-59. Troy then emerged victorious in its tense overtime match against Sun Belt rival Arkansas with a score of 90-85 on Saturday in First National Bank Arena, with Trojan senior BJ Miller scoring a career-high 21 points during the game. With 1:21 remaining in the second half and trailing 78-73, Trojan sophomore Javan Johnson gained the offensive rebound after a missed three-point shot, and then made a three-point shot of his own to take the score to 78-76. During the next possession, Miller led the defense and drew a charge, giving the ball back to Troy with 29 seconds left in regulation. In their final possession, Miller went straight to the rim and hit a shot to tie the game at 78 points apiece, forcing overtime. During the first 3:18 of the overtime period, both teams both gained and lost the lead before Troy gained an 86-85 lead that never wavered. In addition to his career-high 21 points, Miller also made a career-high eight field goals, as well as five assists and rebounds. Senior Jordon Varnado posted 27 points with six rebounds and two assists. This is his eighth 20-point game this season in only 16 games played. Sophomore Javan Johnson recorded 17 points, six of which were scored in overtime, and senior Alex Hicks notched 12 points for the game. Troy will face off against Georgia Southern at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 17, before playing Georgia State at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 19. Both games will be Troy home games, held at Trojan Arena.
Staff Writer
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