LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas Baptist is always a tough place to travel for the Raiders. In the latest round on Tuesday, it was loud, the stands were packed, and an upgrading Buffaloes program led from start to finish to beat Three Rivers College 85-80. The Raiders have now lost three years in a row at Arkansas Baptist. "They have really good scholarships, they have housing. They get some really good players," Three Rivers coach Gene Bess said of the Buffaloes' improving program. "They are for real. It is tough to beat them any place, especially at their place." The Raiders cut the lead to four points with a few minutes remaining, but then gave up a crucial offensive rebound and a second-chance bucket. "We hit some big shots but they would counter," Bess said. "Little things like that are what break the game down." Bess added that Three Rivers (16-6) struggled to get some stability during the game and that the Raiders are having trouble defensively and will break down after a handful of passes.

The team is slowly working freshman and Scott County Central alum Jeffery Porter, who Bess specifically described as a stable player, back into the lineup after he missed nearly two months due to an injury. "We are just bringing him along slowly," Bess said. Porter, who started his first nine games, came off the bench Saturday against Mineral Area in his first game back and played 5 minutes. He got 13 minutes against Arkansas Baptist (17-6), which is close to what he is averaging in his 10 appearances this season. Kavion Pippen practiced some Monday after missing the Mineral Area game with a foot injury but did not play against Arkansas Baptist.