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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. \u2013\u00a0The debut of the\u00a0Central Arkansas Tip-Off Classic\u00a0was a resounding success Friday night at the Jack Stephens Center, as\u00a03,161 fans\u00a0turned out to celebrate the start of basketball season.<\/p>\n
The exhibition doubleheader between\u00a0Little Rock\u00a0and\u00a0Arkansas-Pine Bluff\u00a0brought together two in-state programs in front of a lively, large crowd. Fans were treated to performances by both schools’ dance teams, the Trojan pep band and the night also featured a special tribute to the\u00a02010-11 NCAA Tournament team\u00a0\u2014 led by none other than\u00a0Solomon Bozeman, the Trojans’ star that season and now the head coach at UAPB.<\/p>\n
The Trojans’\u00a0women’s team\u00a0opened the evening with a thrilling\u00a052-50 victory, while the Golden Lions took the men’s contest\u00a077-69.<\/p>\n
Announced in September as a collaborative effort between the two programs, the Central Arkansas Tip-Off Classic is designed to promote college basketball in the region \u2014 and after Friday’s atmosphere, it’s clear this will become a\u00a0can’t-miss annual event. The crowd of more than 3,000 marked the\u00a0one of the larger crowds in recent seasons\u00a0for Little Rock basketball.<\/p>\n
Graduate student\u00a0Jordan Holman<\/a>\u00a0led all scorers and came up clutch down the stretch for the Trojans in the women’s game. Her three-pointer with 5:16 remaining gave Little Rock a 48-47 lead, and a free throw minutes later extended it to two. With just over two minutes left, UAPB pulled within one, but on the Trojans’ final possession,\u00a0Brenna Burk<\/a>\u00a0chased down a tipped ball in the backcourt, raced ahead, drew a foul, and sank a free throw to seal the victory.<\/p>\n In the men’s matchup,\u00a0Tuongthach Gatkek<\/a>\u00a0led Little Rock with 18 points and six rebounds, while\u00a0Cameron Wallace<\/a>\u00a0added 14 points and\u00a0Khasen Robinson<\/a>\u00a0chipped in 11. The Trojans made a strong push in the second half after trailing by double digits at halftime but ultimately came up short.<\/p>\n Little Rock’s men will host\u00a0Arkansas Tech\u00a0in an exhibition at\u00a07 p.m. Tuesday, October 28, while the\u00a0women open their regular season\u00a0at\u00a07 p.m. Monday, November 3\u00a0against\u00a0Central Baptist College. The men tip off their regular season the following night against\u00a0Arkansas Baptist College.<\/p>\n