LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Ryan Pippins and Camron Reedus combined to score 28 points off the Little Rock bench as the Trojans led from start to finish in a 71-62 Sun Belt win over ULM Sunday, Dec. 31 in the Jack Stephens Center.
 
Little Rock (4-11, 1-1 Sun Belt) jumped out to a 9-2 lead as the Trojans hit their first four shots from the field, including three 3-pointers. The Warhawks pulled to within 9-7 on a 3-pointer from Sam McDaniel with 17:02 left in the first half. Little Rock responded with a 9-0 run and took an 18-7 lead on two free throws from Reedus with 12:11 remaining in the first half. The Warhawks misfired on seven-straight field-goal attempts and went scoreless for 5:17 as the Trojans moved out to an 11-point advantage. A three from Anthony Black gave Little Rock a 15-point lead at 30-15. ULM cut its halftime deficit to 12 at 36-24 as Sam Alabakis completed a three-point play with 1:29 left in the opening half.
 
The Warhawks shot 23 percent (6-of-26) from the floor in the first half, including 2-of-10 from 3-point range, and went 9:28 without a field goal during one stretch. The Trojans, who entered the game shooting 28 percent from behind the arc, made 6-of-15 3-point field-goal attempts in the opening 20 minutes.
 
Travis Munnings buried back-to-back 3-pointers from the top of the circle to open the second half as ULM (6-7, 0-2) cut its deficit to 36-30 with 19:03 left. The Warhawks outscored the Trojans, 13-3, over the first 3:37 and pulled to within two at 39-37 on McDaniel's 3-pointer from the left wing with 16:23 remaining. Little Rock put together a 9-0 run to extend its lead back to 12 at 53-41 on a Pippins' jumper with 10:13 left. The Trojans matched their largest lead at 63-48 with 3:08 to play.
 
"We had a tough start," ULM head basketball coach Keith Richard said. "Little Rock started with three threes from some unlikely players, including one with the shot clock winding down. We were down 12 at the half but felt we were still in position to make a comeback. It certainly wasn't an insurmountable lead.
 
"We cut the deficit to two points early in the second half but just couldn't get over the hump. It was a valiant effort in the second half, but you almost have to play perfect when you get down like that, especially on the road."
 
Three Trojans came off the bench to score in double figures, led by Pippins who netted 10 of his team-high 15 points in the second half. Little Rock also got 13 points from Reedus and 10 from Marcus Ben as the Trojan bench outscored ULM's reserves, 45-3. For the game, Little Rock shot 48 percent (23-of-48) from the field, including 50 percent (10-of-20) in the second half, and outrebounded the Warhawks, 35-28.
 
McDaniel scored a game-high 19 points to pace ULM while Munnings went 4-for-4 from 3-point distance and finished with 18 points. Jordon Harris added 10 points and four assists.
 
"Travis (Munnings) has to learn how to play without fouling," Richard said. "He was disappointed about some of the calls, but he's going to have to learn how to adjust and play without fouling. The only time Travis needs to sit is for a rest, not for foul trouble. He's too valuable to the team as a scorer to sit for extended periods."
 
ULM opens its Sun Belt home schedule against Coastal Carolina on Thursday, Jan. 4 at 7 p.m., followed by a visit from Appalachian State on Saturday, Jan. 6 at 2 p.m.