Braxton Bayless is taking advantage of his sixth year of collegiate eligibility.
The former Ankeny basketball star scored a season-high 21 points on Saturday to lead Little Rock to an 82-74 road victory over Lindenwood at Robert F. Hyland Arena in Saint Charles, Mo. The graduate guard also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out seven assists for the Trojans, who improved to 4-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference and 7-10 overall.
“We played very well in the second half,” said Little Rock coach Darrell Walker, a former NBA player who previously coached the Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards. “Our defense bothered them, and we were able to cause some turnovers and turn them into easy points.”
Little Rock held a 37-31 halftime lead, then opened the second half with a 6-0 run that was highlighted by a steal from Johnathan Lawson and a fast-break dunk by Bayless at the 19:10 mark.
Bayless went 8-of-14 from the field and 4-of-6 from the free-throw line. He played 38 of the 40 minutes, matching his season-high.
“I made my first three-pointer, and it was on from there,” Bayless said. “The offense was working well and creating open shots for us, and I was aggressive and looking to score.”
Bayless has started all 17 games for the Trojans. He is averaging 9.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists.
After leading Ankeny to a Class 4A state title in 2020, Bayless played his first two seasons at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa. He then spent two years at Niagara before reuniting with former Indian Hills coach Hank Plona at Western Kentucky last year.
Little Rock returns home to face Eastern Illinois on Thursday at the Jack Stephens Center.
“We played well on the road (last) week, and now we need to protect our home court,” Walker said. “We will get home and get some rest and get prepared for EIU.”