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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0The debut of the\u00a0Central Arkansas Tip-Off Classic<\/strong>\u00a0was a resounding success Friday night at the Jack Stephens Center, as\u00a03,161 fans<\/strong>\u00a0turned out to celebrate the start of basketball season.<\/p>\n The exhibition doubleheader between\u00a0Little Rock<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Arkansas-Pine Bluff<\/strong>\u00a0brought together two in-state programs in front of a lively, large crowd. Fans were treated to performances by both schools’ dance teams, the Trojan pep band and the night also featured a special tribute to the\u00a02010-11 NCAA Tournament team<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 led by none other than\u00a0Solomon Bozeman<\/strong>, the Trojans’ star that season and now the head coach at UAPB.<\/p>\n The Trojans’\u00a0women’s team<\/strong>\u00a0opened the evening with a thrilling\u00a052-50 victory<\/strong>, while the Golden Lions took the men’s contest\u00a077-69<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Announced in September as a collaborative effort between the two programs, the Central Arkansas Tip-Off Classic is designed to promote college basketball in the region \u2014 and after Friday’s atmosphere, it’s clear this will become a\u00a0can’t-miss annual event<\/strong>. The crowd of more than 3,000 marked the\u00a0one of the larger crowds in recent seasons<\/strong>\u00a0for Little Rock basketball.<\/p>\n Graduate student\u00a0Jordan Holman<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0led all scorers and came up clutch down the stretch for the Trojans in the women’s game. Her three-pointer with 5:16 remaining gave Little Rock a 48-47 lead, and a free throw minutes later extended it to two. With just over two minutes left, UAPB pulled within one, but on the Trojans’ final possession,\u00a0Brenna Burk<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0chased down a tipped ball in the backcourt, raced ahead, drew a foul, and sank a free throw to seal the victory.<\/p>\n In the men’s matchup,\u00a0Tuongthach Gatkek<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0led Little Rock with 18 points and six rebounds, while\u00a0Cameron Wallace<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>added 14 points and\u00a0Khasen Robinson<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0chipped in 11. The Trojans made a strong push in the second half after trailing by double digits at halftime but ultimately came up short.<\/p>\n Little Rock’s men will host\u00a0Arkansas Tech<\/strong>\u00a0in an exhibition at\u00a07 p.m. Tuesday, October 28<\/strong>, while the\u00a0women open their regular season<\/strong>\u00a0at\u00a07 p.m. Monday, November 3<\/strong>\u00a0against\u00a0Central Baptist College<\/strong>. The men tip off their regular season the following night against\u00a0Arkansas Baptist College<\/strong>.<\/p>\n