LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Ryan Bowie led UTSA with 17 points, but Central Arkansas shot 63.6 percent in the second half to rally for a 98-84 win on Monday afternoon in the Men Who Speak Up Main Event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Bowie led five players in double figures for the Roadrunners (1-4), who shot 55.4 percent for the game, with 17 points, while Nick Billingsley had a season-high 11 points off the bench. Gino Littles added 10 points and a career-best seven assists, while Nick Allen and J.R. Harris contributed 10 points apiece.
Meanwhile, Justin Foreman led six players in double figures for the Bears (1-3) with 21 points and Jordan Howard hit three 3-pointers en route to 17 points. Central Arkansas shot 57.1 percent in the game and took the lead for good with a 21-6 run midway through the final period.
The first seven minutes of the second half featured three ties and four lead changes and UTSA led 57-56 with 13:19 to play following back-to-back 3-pointers from George Matthews.
That’s when the Bears went on their game-deciding run to take the lead for good.
Foreman hit a long 3-pointer with 11:30 left for a 59-57 advantage and Central Arkansas would not trail again. The Bears hit seven straight shots at one point during the stretch, which ended on a Foreman layup that made it 77-66 with six minutes remaining.
UTSA cut the deficit to five, 77-72, minutes later on a Lucas O’Brien 3-pointer, but it could get no closer.
The Bears responded with a 12-4 spurt and did not look back to score the 98-84 victory.
The Roadrunners started hot from the floor by hitting four of their first seven attempts for a quick 11-6 lead. Littles got the offense started with an old-fashioned three-point play, while A.J. Cockrell provided a pair of buckets in the early stretch.
However, Central Arkansas started to heat up and it hit six consecutive shots to fuel a 13-2 run for a 19-13 advantage. A jumper from Bowie, his first of the day, was the only UTSA basket during the run.
UTSA responded with six straight makes of its own as part of a 15-4 spurt to reclaim a 28-23 lead with eight minutes to go in the half.
Bowie started the stretch with a 15-foot jumper before Harris connected on a free throw. Harris missed his second attempt, but Allen grabbed the rebound and laid it in for a three-point possession. Bowie then drained a triple and hit a pair of free throws, while Billingsley capped the run with a 3-pointer and layup for a 28-23 advantage.
Central Arkansas would take a 32-30 lead minutes later with back-to-back layups that set the stage for a back-and-forth final five minutes of the period.
In all, the lead changed hands eight times with seven ties during the half and UTSA took a 41-38 lead to intermission on a Harris 3-pointer.
UTSA will conclude tournament play at 2:30 p.m. (CT) on Wednesday against Texas Southern (0-4).