Box Score LAS VEGAS - Roger Woods scored 17 points and blocked three shots, leading Arkansas-Little Rock (5-5) to a 64-54 win against Bradley (4-8) in the consolation game of the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic Monday afternoon at South Point Arena & Equestrian Center.
Bradley finished with a +17 rebound margin (50-33), including 25 offensive rebounds, but another cold-shooting performance proved too much to overcome.
A day after shooting just 26.8 percent against UC Irvine, Bradley made only 18-of-63 (.286) field goal attempts Monday and compounded the shooting problems by making only 12-of-22 (.545) free throw attempts.
Omari Grier came off the bench to lead the Braves in scoring for the second straight game, finishing with 16 points. Playing through a twisted ankle suffered Sunday, Tramique Sutherland finished with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Mike Shaw grabbed a career-best 10 rebounds for the Braves.
Led by Woods, UALR put three players in double-figures. Ben Dillard scored 14 for the Trojans, while J.T. Thomas added 11.
Although the Trojans started a 4-guard lineup and did not have a starter taller than 6-foot-5, UALR became just the sixth Bradley opponent to ever block 10 shots against the Braves.
UALR opened the game with a 10-2 and eventually pushed its early lead to nine points, 14-5 on a Woods jumper with 13:26 left in the first half. Bradley switched to a 2-3 zone and the change allowed the Braves to get back into the game and the Braves eventually pulled even, 19-19, on a Grier jumper with 5:08 left in the half.
UALR answered with an 8-2 mini-run to take the lead for good. The Trojans expanded a 29-24 halftime lead to as much as 15 points, 57-42, on two James White free throes with 5:27 remaining.
Bradley countered with a 9-0 run, capped by a Ka'Darryl Bell 3-pointer with 1:40 left to pull witin 57-51. In a sequence symbolic of Bradley's stay in Las Vegas, however, the Braves had a chance to cut into the deficit even more on its next possession, but could no convert on any of its three shots of the possession.
Bradley will close out its non-conference schedule Sunday when the Braves welcome Illinois-Chicago to Carver Arena for a 4 p.m. game. The contest against the Flames will be the first in a cooperative promotion with the Peoria Civic Center: the Weekend 4-Pack will debut Sunday, allowing fans to purchase four tickets in the Red seating areas, as well as four hot dogs and four non-alcolholic beverages for $50.