ODESSA, Texas – University of Arkansas – Fort Smith Men's Basketball trailed for only 34 seconds as the Lions held off UT Permian Basin, 81-74, for their first win of the season Sunday at the Falcon Dome.

Senior forward Chris Rollins paced the Lions (1-3, 1-3 LSC) with 21 points, as they handed the Falcons (6-1, 5-1 LSC) their first loss of the season. Rollins was efficient from both the floor and the line, shooting 6-for-8 from the field and 9-for-10 at the charity stripe.

UTPB scored the opening basket of the game for their only lead, and UAFS took the lead for good at the 15:05 mark on a layup by freshman guard Terrell Kabala.

Freshman guard Payton Brown scored all 14 of his points in the first half, connecting on his first four three-point attempts.

Leading by five at the break, UAFS extended the lead to 14 at 55-41 on a pair of free throws by Rollins with 13:20 left.

However, the Falcons drilled four consecutive threes to tie the game just three minutes later, until a layup by freshman forward Justus Cooper ended the run.

Getting into the double bonus for the final seven minutes of action, the Lions made 9-of-10 attempts down the stretch to seal the win. For the game, the Lions were 21-of-28 from the line.

Senior guard Matthew Wilson added 13 points, while sophomore guard Evan Anderson chipped in 12. Cooper scored seven points while grabbing a team-high eight rebounds.

The Lions shot a blistering 57.1 percent from three (8-for14), while the Falcons shot just 24.0 percent from deep. UAFS shot 53.1 percent from the floor overall.

UAFS will return to the Stubblefield Center for its home opener against Texas A&M-Commerce January 14.