UALR Trojans Basketball Game Notes

Courtesy University of Arkansas at Little Rock Athletic Department

GM22 // UALR (12-9, 6-4 SBC) vs. Florida Atlantic (10-10, 5-4 SBC)

Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013 • 7 PM (CST)

Little Rock, Ark. • Jack Stephens Center (5,600)

Radio: KABZ – 103.7 FM

Online Radio: 1037TheBuzz.com

Radio Talent: Ray Tucker (PXP) & Pat Bradley (Analyst)

Live Video: UALRTrojans.com

Live Stats: UALRTrojans.com

Series (Overall): UALR leads, 4-3

Series (at UALR): UALR leads, 2-0

Current Streak: UALR, 1 win

Last Meeting: 1/7/12 – UALR, 40-38

Shields Record vs. FAU: 4-3

UALR Trojans

2012-13 Record: 12-9

Home Record: 10-1

Head Coach: Steve Shields (10th year)

Record at UALR: 159-137

Career Record: Same

UALR Statistical Leaders

Points: Will Neighbour (11.0)

Rebounds: Will Neighbour (6.7)

Assists: Josh Hagins (3.3)

Steals: Leroy Isler (1.6)

Blocks: James White (1.1) 

Florida Atlantic Owls

2012-13 Record: 10-10

Road Record: 3-7

Head Coach: Mike Jarvis (5th year)

Record at FAU: 62-82

Career Record: 381-284 (24th year) 

Florida Atlantic Statistical Leaders

Points: Greg Gantt (22.5)

Rebounds: Jordan McCoy (5.8)

Assists: Jordan McCoy (2.5)

Steals: Gantt/Trapp (0.5)

Blocks: Kelvin Penn (2.6) 

Quick Hits

• UALR earned its first road win of the season on Saturday, Jan. 19 with a 59-54 win at Western Kentucky.

• The Trojans are 10-1 at home this season and 102-41 at home in the tenure of head coach Steve Shields.

• In terms of minutes played by class, UALR is the least-experienced team in the nation. Nine of UALR’s top 11 players (by minutes played) are freshmen and sophomores.

• UALR has played the third-most games in the country (21) at this point in the season.

• UALR is second in the conference in free throws made (307), leads the league in free throws attempted (463) and is averaging 14.6 points per game from the foul line. UALR has attempted the eighth-most free throws in the nation.

• The Trojans currently rank second in the Sun Belt in field goal percentage (.435) and third in three-point field goal percentage (.350).

• UALR is 11-1 on the season when holding opponents under 70 points and 1-8 when surrendering 70 or more.

• Under Shields, UALR is 138-54 when holding opponents below 70 points and 82-20 when keeping opponents under 40 percent shooting from the field.

• Junior Will Neighbour leads UALR in scoring (11.0 ppg) and rebounding (6.7 rpg). Those numbers increase to 11.5 ppg and 7.9 rpg in conference games.

• Freshman Josh Hagins is averaging 11.0 points, 5.5 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game while shooting 53.1 percent from the floor since being inserted into the starting lineup vs. Western Kentucky (1/3/13).

• Sophomore Michael Javes is three blocks away from tying Jake Yancey (2000-03) for seventh place on UALR’s all-time blocks list.

More Quick Hits

• Freshman Josh Hagins has now reached double figures in scoring in five-straight games, including consecutive 14-point nights at Middle Tennessee and WKU last week.

• Hagins has also dished out 5+ assists in four of UALR’s last six contests.

• Hagins was named College Sports Madness’ Sun Belt Player of the Week on Jan. 14 after averaging 10.5 points, 7.5 assists and 3.0 steals per game in UALR’s wins over North Texas and FIU. Hagins shot 50 percent from the floor (8-of-16) and 80 percent from the foul line (4-of-5) in the wins.

• In SBC-games-only, Hagins ranks fourth in the league in assists (4.0 apg), third in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9) and is tied for eighth in steals (1.6 spg).

• Hagins’ eight assists vs. North Texas (1/10/13) and seven assists vs. FIU (1/12/13) are the two highest single-game assist totals of the season for a UALR player.

• Sophomore Michael Javes is averaging 10.7 points on 52.0 percent shooting from the field over his last three games.

• UALR is 5-1 (3-0 this season) when Javes scores 10+ points.

• Junior Will Neighbour’s current SBC-games-only rankings: 18th in scoring (11.0 ppg), fifth in rebounding (7.9 rpg), T-10th in blocks (9) and second in offensive boards (29/2.9 per game).

• With 22 blocks through 21 games this season, Neighbour is just four blocks shy of tying his season total (26) from a season ago. With 26 steals, the Grayshott, England-native is just a single steal short of matching his 2011-12 season total.

• Neighbour recently had his seven-game streak as UALR’s leading rebounder snapped Saturday at WKU.

• Over his last five games, freshman Kemy Osse is averaging 8.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.0 steals while shooting 51.9 percent from the floor and 58.3 percent from three-point range.

• Osse scored eight points and grabbed a career-high seven rebounds at WKU.

• UALR put five players in double figures for the first time this season in its win over FIU (1/12/13). The Trojans are 7-1 under Shields when five players finish in double figures.

• UALR currently ranks second in the Sun Belt Conference in offensive field goal percentage (43.5 percent).

• UALR currently ranks second in the Sun Belt with 12.9 assists per game.

• UALR ranks fourth in the league in both blocks (4.0) and steals (7.7) per game.

• UALR is 5-0 on the season when at least four Trojans finish in double figures.

Last Time Out

• Trailing 26-25 at halftime, UALR (12-9, 6-4 SBC) held Western Kentucky (11-9, 5-4 SBC) to 28.6 percent shooting in the second half while hitting 60.9 percent of its own shots over the final 20 minutes to earn a 59-54 win at E.A. Diddle Arena on Saturday.

• The win was UALR’s first true road victory of the season and completes the season sweep against the Hilltoppers, as UALR also defeated WKU 75-67 on Jan. 3 at the Jack Stephens Center.

• Saturday’s win over WKU marked the first UALR win at E.A. Diddle Arena since Feb. 17, 2005, as the Trojans overcame a 37-to-31 deficit on the boards by shooting 60.9 percent from the field in the second half and 46.2 percent for the game.

• Freshman Josh Hagins led UALR with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting to go along with six assists and five rebounds.

• Junior Leroy Isler scored 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting, while freshman Kemy Osse came off the bench to score eight points and grab a team-high seven rebounds. 

About Florida Atlantic

• Florida Atlantic finds itself at 10-10 overall and 5-4 in Sun Belt play after falling in overtime to North Texas, 61-59, on Saturday, Jan. 19 in Boca Raton, Fla.

• The Owls sport the second-best defensive field goal percentage in the Sun Belt (41.1 percent), as well as the second-best defensive three-point field goal percentage (30.4 percent).

• FAU also leads the league in free throw percentage (72.5 percent) and blocked shots (5.3 bpg), thanks in part to Kelvin Penn’s 2.6 bpg.

• The Owls’ roster features senior Greg Gantt, who leads the Sun Belt and ranks third nationally in scoring at 22.5 ppg. A Preseason Second Team All-SBC Selection, Gantt shoots 41.5 percent from long range and 81.6 percent from the foul line.

All-Time Against the Owls

• UALR leads 4-3 in the all-time series against FAU, including 2-0 in games played in Little Rock.

• The last time UALR and FAU met, the Trojans defeated the Owls 40-38 after then-senior D’Andre Williams scored on a drive to the basket with 4.0 seconds left in regulation at the Jack Stephens Center.

• Head coach Steve Shields is 4-3 all-time against Florida Atlantic.

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