UALR Goes for Third Straight Road Win at ULM on Thursday

Courtesy University of Arkansas at Little Rock Athletics Department

GM25 // UALR (14-10, 8-5 SBC) at ULM (3-15, 2-10 SBC)

Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013 • 7:30 PM (CST)

Monroe, La. • Fant-Ewing Coliseum (7,000)

Radio: KABZ – 103.7 FM

Online Radio: 1037TheBuzz.com

Radio Talent: Ray Tucker (PXP) & Bruce Munson (Analyst)

Live Video: ULMWarhawks.com

Live Stats: ULMWarhawks.com

Series (Overall): UALR leads, 13-8

Series (at ULM): UALR leads, 5-4

Current Streak: UALR, 5 wins

Last Meeting: W, 83-58 (12/1/12)

Shields Record vs. ULM: 10-5

UALR Trojans

2012-13 Record: 14-10

Road Record: 2-7

Head Coach: Steve Shields (10th year)

Record at UALR: 161-138

Career Record: Same

UALR Statistical Leaders

Points: Will Neighbour (11.4)

Rebounds: Will Neighbour (7.0)

Assists: Josh Hagins (3.0)

Steals: Leroy Isler (1.5)

Blocks: Michael Javes (1.1)

ULM Warhawks

2012-13 Record: 3-15

Home Record: 2-5

Head Coach: Keith Richard (3rd year)

Record at ULM: 13-66

Career Record: 163-182

ULM Statistical Leaders

Points: Amos Olatayo (15.9)

Rebounds: Jayon James (6.9)

Assists: Jayon James (5.3)

Steals: Jayon James (1.4)

Blocks: Amos Olatayo (0.5)

Quick Hits

• With its loss on Saturday against South Alabama, UALR sits at 8-5 in league play and is now tied with Arkansas State for first place in the Sun Belt’s West Division.

• After losing its first seven true road games of the season, the Trojans have now captured back-to-back wins away from the Jack Stephens Center for the first time since earning victories at ULM (Jan. 12, 2012) and Arkansas State (Jan 14, 2012) last year.

• In UALR’s two most-recent road wins, its defense held the two opponents to 55.5 points per game, a combined 33.7 percent shooting from the field and 30.6 percent shooting from three-point range.

• 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 (24) at this point in the season.

• UALR is 13-1 on the season when holding opponents under 70 points and 1-9 when surrendering 70 or more.

• Under Shields, UALR is 140-54 when holding opponents below 70 points and 83-20 when keeping opponents under 40 percent shooting from the field.

• Shields is second among active coaches in career Sun Belt Conference wins (89). Middle Tennessee’s Kermit Davis (110) ranks first.

• Junior Will Neighbour leads UALR in scoring (11.4 ppg) and rebounding (7.0 rpg). Those numbers increase to 12.0 ppg and 8.2 rpg in conference games.

• Sophomore Michael Javes is four blocks shy of tying Gilbert Maxwell (1979-81) for sixth place on UALR’s all-time blocks list. Javes leads UALR with 27 blocks this season and has 71 for his career.

• Freshman Josh Hagins is averaging 10.8 points, 4.1 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 52.9 percent from the floor since being inserted into the starting lineup vs. Western Kentucky (1/3/13).

Team Notes

• UALR had its biggest come-from-behind win of the Steve Shields era vs. FAU on Jan. 24, as the Trojans rallied from a 22-point deficit to defeat the Owls 65-62 at the Jack Stephens Center.

• The Trojans are now 11-2 at home this season and 103-42 at home since Shields took over in 2003.

• UALR’s win against FAU on Jan. 24 was the first time all season UALR won despite having a lower field goal percentage than its opponent. The Trojans made up for their shooting woes with a +15 advantage at the FT line.

• The win against FAU was also just the 10th victory of the Shields era in which a UALR opponent finished the game shooting better than 50 percent from the field.

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

• UALR currently ranks second in the Sun Belt Conference in offensive field goal percentage (42.8 percent), and third in three-point field goal percentage (34.9 percent).

• Other current UALR ranks amongst SBC teams: third in assists (12.3 apg), third in assist-to-turnover ratio (0.8), fourth in blocks (4.0 bpg), sixth in steals (7.3 spg) and fifth in turnover margin (+1.3).

• The Trojans have won five games this season in which they were trailing at halftime.

• UALR has finished even or better in points-in-the-paint in nine of its last ten games.

• UALR is a win away from matching its season total for wins (15) from all of last year.

Individual Notes

• Junior Will Neighbour is averaging 13.7 points and 9.0 rebounds on 50.0 percent shooting over his last three games.

• Neighbour has led UALR in rebounding in ten of the team’s last 11 games.

• Freshman Kemy Osse has pulled down 5+ rebounds in three of his last four games.

• Sophomore Ben Dillard is shooting 45.8 percent from three-point range in Sun Belt games.

• Junior Leroy Isler has at least one steal in nine of his last ten games.

• Freshman Josh Hagins’ shooting numbers in conference play: 50.5 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from three-point range, 80.0 percent from the free throw line.

Last Time Out

• South Alabama handed UALR just its second home loss of the season on Saturday, Feb. 2, topping the Trojans 70-66 at the Jack Stephens Center.

• The win snapped UALR’s three-game win streak and gave South Alabama the season sweep against the Trojans, as the Jaguars took the previous meeting 77-62 in Mobile, Ala., on Dec. 22.

• Dillard led UALR with 15 points on 4-of-6 shooting, and Hagins scored 13 points as the only other Trojan in double figures. UALR is just 4-7 this season when fewer than three players finish in double figures.

• Neighbour grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds but was limited to just six points on 3-of-11 shooting. Javes scored five points and pulled down a season-high eight rebounds.

• As a team, South Alabama finished the game shooting 41.2 percent from the floor (21-of-51), while UALR was limited to just 34.4 percent shooting on the night (21-of-61).

• The Trojans finished the night +6 on the glass (43-to-37), but committed 15 turnovers that led to 23 South Alabama points.

About ULM

• ULM sits at 3-15 overall and 2-10 in Sun Belt play entering Thursday’s matchup. The Warhawks have dropped seven-straight since winning 81-68 at North Texas on Jan. 5.

• The Warhawks’ 59.6 ppg and -10.7 scoring margin both rank at the bottom of the Sun Belt. ULM ranks second in the league in assists (12.9 apg) and fourth in steals (7.6 spg).

• Amos Olatayo, who did not play in UALR and ULM’s first meeting this season, leads ULM in scoring (15.9 ppg) and is shooting 48.8 percent from the field. Jayon James leads the Warhawks in rebounds (6.9 rpg), assists (5.3 apg) and steals (1.3 spg).

All-Time Against the Warhawks

• UALR leads 13-8 in the all-time series with ULM, including 5-4 in games played in Monroe. UALR has won five-straight against the Warhawks by an average of 17.8 ppg.

• The Trojans won this season’s first meeting by an 83-58 final on Dec. 1 at the Jack Stephens Center.

• In UALR’s win on Dec. 1, Dillard came off the bench to score a career-high 17 points on 5-of-10 shooting, while James White and Neighbour tallied 14 and 13 points, respectively.

• Head coach Steve Shields has a career record of 10-5 against ULM.