After a slow start and an early deficit, the Lions (8-10, 2-4) rallied to tie the game and pull off a come from behind overtime victory against Southland Conference (SLC) rival Central Arkansas (7-11, 2-4), winning the game 75-71.

The match, taking place on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. in the University Center, marked the Lions’ ninth win at home and third overtime victory this season. The win took place during the annual Jam the Jungle event sponsored by the Campus Activities Board (CAB).

The game was sent into overtime by Lions senior center Elgin Bailey who scored the game tying bucket and a total of 12 points in the second half.

“Elgin was wonderful tonight. It was good to see him attack and come alive,” said head coach Jim Yarbrough. “Once we got it to single digits in half time I felt good. We came right out and scored and said ‘Okay, this is going to be a ball game.’ I knew we deserved the chance to win.”

The Lions win did not always seem probable, however, as Central Arkansas took an early lead, putting the Lions in a 16-point hole. First half scoring for the Lions was led by forward Roosevelt “Ro” Johnson, who posted a total of 10 points. The Lions weathered the Central Arkansas attack and cut the lead down to seven points going into halftime.

“I just did what I had to do for my team basically,” said Johnson about his performance last Wednesday. “I had to come through in crunch time. I was a little fatigued, but still had to push through.”

The second half saw a different Lions team emerge from the locker room. The team began playing better defensively as they combined for a total of 12 rebounds, scoring off of a number of those plays. Yarbrough credited the turn around to the changes the team made on the court.

“Eventually, what ended up happening is we got it playing like we wanted to play and we slowed it down and guarded them at half court,” said Yarbrough.

The game came down to the final seconds of the second half, the Lions down by two with only seconds to play. Junior guard Daron Populist put the ball in the air with two seconds left and missed, but Bailey was right there for the tip to tie the game sending the contest into overtime.

“It felt great man we just couldn’t stop and I know I couldn’t just quit on that play,” Bailey said about his game-tying basket. “That’s a hustle play and I’m a hustle guy.”

In overtime, the Lions were able to stay on top of the Bears and pull out a thrilling win. After the final buzzer, fans participating in the Jam the Jungle event rushed the floor and congratulated their team.

“Our students, that means a lot to us when they come out. It’s a big difference maker for us,” said Yarbrough. “The energy in the building gives you a home court advantage and that emotional push allowed us to come back tonight. It’s great to see the energy in the building and it means a lot.”

The Lions will return to their home court Wednesday, Feb. 1 to play conference team Lamar at 7 p.m. in the University Center.