LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Southeastern Louisiana University men's basketball team claimed its first victory of the 2026-27 season with a thrilling 83-79 win over Arkansas-Little Rock Saturday evening at the Jack Stephens Center.
SLU (1-1) gained a big victory on the road over Arkansas-Little Rock (0-2), recording its first win over a SunBelt opponent since the 2024-25 season versus ULM. Southeastern remained aggressive and battled throughout the contest to hold its lead down the stretch. With a second half surge of momentum, three Lions ended the game in double-figures to aid in the road win.
Army transfer Jackson Furman led the green and gold with a career-high 21 points with three rebounds and two assists. Furman closed out the game electric from the three-point line for Southeastern, shooting 54.5 percent from the field, 55.6 percent from the three-point line and 80.0 percent from the charity stripe. Bryant transfer Ashley Sims II followed up with a career-high 18 points, finishing 7-8 from the field, 3-3 from behind the arch and 1-1 from the free throw line.
Nevada transfer Tyler Rolison also stepped up for SLU with 16 points, shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from the three-point line and charity stripe. The Lions closed out the game shooting 53.0 percent from the field, 52.0 percent from the three-point line and 73.0 percent from free throw line versus the Trojans.
Arkansas-Little Rock punched first on its home court, hot from the three-point line while capitalizing off second chance opportunities. Southeastern regrouped early in the first half and returned the aggression as it also stepped up from the three-point line along with its defensive pressure. As both teams continued to go back and forth, Sims II caused problems for Arkansas-Little Rock with double-figures in the first half to help SLU take the lead, 18-17.
The Trojans gained their own run as Taj Walters (nine points) and Bradyn Hubbard (16 points) stepped up for the hosts to keep the contest close midway through the first half, 17-14. Furman became hot from the corner pocket to convert on a four-point play to give Southeastern momentum from the three-point line, 24-23. The Lions maintained their confidence down the stretch as Sims II continued to dominate from all cylinders.
SLU locked in defensively to hold its lead late in the first half as it forced the hosts into crucial turnovers, closing out the opening half 46-39. The Lions finished the half shooting 51.9 percent from the field, 57.1 percent from behind the arch and 76.9 percent from the line.
Southeastern returned from the halftime break with its continued spark of momentum from the first half, attacking the rim to put pressure on the Trojan's defense, 48-43. Arkansas-Little Rock worked to fight back as Hubbard continued to carry the team with nine points in the final half alone. The Trojans regained their composure in the midway through second half with a 7-0 run, battling to capitalize on the Lions foul trouble.
Furman continued to fuel the green and gold offensively, unstoppable from the three-point line with a step-back triple. As both teams continued to battle back and forth, Little Rock took advantage of easy points at the free throw line to regain its lead, 62-61. Southeastern kept the hosts within the fight due to costly turnovers late in the second half, but Furman remained the driving factor for the visitors from the three-point line to equalize the game, 68-68.
Rolison stepped up with a tough finish around the rim to reclaim the lead for the Lions, 77-72. Little Rock refused to give up easily on its home court as it stayed within reach down the stretch in the final minutes of the match, 80-77. As the Trojans' challenge was unsuccessful, the ball remained with Southeastern to inbound.
Little Rock converted on a miscommunication from SLU to bring the game close under 48 seconds in the game, 80-79. Rolison answered back for the green and gold with a tough layup to extend its lead 82-79. The Trojans gained one last possession, but Southeastern's defense denied a solid look for the hosts as they could not convert on a desperate last second shot to close out the game.
SLU will move forward and travel to Oxford, Miss to face Ole Miss Tuesday, November 10 at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday's matchup against the Rebels will be streamed on the SEC Network+.
HARDWOOD CLUB/S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the basketball program are encouraged to join the Hardwood Club. Lion alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letterwinners. All membership fees and donations to Hardwood Club are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern basketball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Basketball, follow @LionUpMBB and @DavidKieferSLU on Twitter, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.
TICKETS
For ticket information, please contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or visit www.LionSports.net/tickets. Southeastern is implementing mobile ticketing as the primary source for securing tickets. All tickets will be available via e-mail in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet.
