Coach Darrell Walker had some choice words as he trudged diagonally across the court toward the University of Arkansas-Little Rock locker room at halftime.
The Trojans led by just four points against NAIA member Arkansas Baptist after the Buffaloes' Kendric Robinson drained a running 30-foot three-pointer at the horn to make it 31-27.
Those words likely continued into the second half Thursday night -- until the Trojans finally pulled away.
UALR needed a 22-6 outburst over seven-plus minutes to bury the Buffaloes, winning 71-60 in its 2022-23 home opener at the Jack Stephens Center. Four different Trojans reached double figures -- led by 16 points from Nigel John -- but it was UALR's 52-39 edge on the glass, including 17 offensive rebounds, that had Walker most pleased on a night when his team struggled to separate for more than 30 minutes.