UALR Returns to Action at Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday at 7:15 PM

Courtesy UALR Athletics Department

UALR (8-6, 2-1 SBC) at Louisiana-Lafayette (5-9, 1-2 SBC)

Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012 • 7:15 PM (CST)

Lafayette, La. • Cajundome (11,550)

Radio: KHLR – 106.7 FM

Radio Talent: Ray Tucker (PXP)

Live Video: RaginCajuns.com

Live Stats: RaginCajuns.com

UALR Trojans

2012-13 Record: 8-6

Road Record: 0-4

Head Coach: Steve Shields (10th year)

Record at UALR: 155-134

Career Record: Same

UALR Statistical Leaders

Points: John Gillon (11.7)

Rebounds: Will Neighbour (6.3)

Assists: John Gillon (2.5)

Steals: Will Neighbour (1.3)

Blocks: Javes/White (1.4)

Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns

2012-13 Record: 5-9

Home Record: 4-2

Head Coach: Bob Marlin (3rd year)

Record at ULL: 35-40

Career Record: 259-171 (15th year)

ULL Statistical Leaders

Points: Shawn Long (16.7)

Rebounds: Shawn Long (9.5)

Assists: Elfrid Payton (4.9)

Steals: Elfrid Payton (2.4)

Blocks: Shawn Long (1.9)

Quick Hits

• UALR will be looking for its first true road win of the season on Saturday when it plays at Louisiana-Lafayette. UALR is currently 0-4 in true road games with one neutral site victory (SMU).

• UALR is 33-40 in road SBC games in the tenure of head coach Steve Shields.

• In Shields’ nine full seasons as head coach, four of his teams have produced .500 or better road records in conference play.

• Both UALR’s defensive field goal percentage (40.3 percent) and three-point defensive field goal percentage (28.0 percent) rank second in the Sun Belt.

• The Trojans have held six of their 14 opponents this season to fewer than 60 points and are 6-0 in such games.

• UALR has held eight of its opponents below 40 percent shooting and is 6-2 in such games.

• Under Shields, UALR is 81-13 when keeping opponents under 60 points, and 81-20 when keeping opponents under 40 percent shooting from the field.

• In Sun Belt games only, junior Will Neighbour is averaging a team-best 12.7 ppg and 8.7 rpg.

• Freshman John Gillon leads UALR in scoring (11.7 ppg) and assists (2.5 apg).

• Sophomore Michael Javes sits in eighth place all-time at UALR with 63 career blocked shots.

• Freshman James White ranks fourth in the SBC in individual field goal percentage (52.8 percent).

South Alabama Recap

• Augustine Rubit collected his third-straight double-double, finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead South Alabama (6-5, 3-0 SBC) to a 77-62 win over UALR (8-6, 2-1 SBC) Saturday afternoon at the Mitchell Center.

• The Jaguars finished the game shooting 47.3 percent from the field (26-of-55) and were able to score 27 points off of 21 UALR turnovers.

• UALR dominated the glass, finishing the game with a +12 rebounding margin (42-to-30), but could not overcome the Jaguars’ hot-shooting effort that was fueled by a 27-to-7 advantage in points off turnovers.

• South Alabama finished the game shooting 44.4 percent (8-of-18) from three-point range — a season high for a UALR opponent.

• Junior Will Neighbour finished with 11 points and nine rebounds for UALR, while freshman John Gillon scored 14 points thanks to a 5-of-6 effort from the foul line.

• In his first career start, freshman Kemy Osse scored 11 points and grabbed three rebounds.

About Louisiana-Lafayette

• Louisiana-Lafayette enters Saturday’s game at 5-9 overall and 1-2 in Sun Belt play following a Thursday night loss at Arkansas State.

• ULL’s scoring offense (70.2 ppg) is third in the league while their scoring defense (73.3 ppg) ranks at the bottom of the conference.

• The Ragin’ Cajuns are playing at a -3.9 margin on the boards, ranking ninth in the league.

• Shawn Long leads the Ragin’ Cajuns in scoring (16.7 ppg) and rebounding (9.5 rpg) and ranks in the Sun Belt’s top ten in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage, free throw percentage and blocked shots.

• Elfrid Payton leads the Sun Belt in steals (2.4 spg) and ranks second in assists (4.9).

• Head coach Steve Shields was an assistant on ULL head coach Bob Marlin’s staff at Pensacola (Fla.) Junior College during the 1993-94 season.

All-Time Against the Ragin’ Cajuns

• Louisiana-Lafayette leads 21-16 in the all-time series, including 12-5 in games played in Lafayette.

• The two teams split their series last year, with the Ragin’ Cajuns beating UALR by a 68-49 final at the Jack Stephens Center on Jan. 19, and the Trojans topping the Cajuns in overtime 72-70 at the Cajundome on Feb. 8.

• UALR won six in a row from 12/28/06 to 1/16/10, but ULL has won three of the last five meetings.

• Shields in 9-5 all-time against ULL, including a 4-3 mark in Lafayette.

Youth Movement

• In terms of the percentage of minutes played by class, UALR is the least-experienced team in NCAA Division I.

• According to StatSheet.com, UALR plays its freshmen and sophomores a higher percentage of the team’s total minutes than any other team in Division I.

• Eight of UALR’s top ten in terms of minutes played are either freshmen or sophomores.

• According to a nationwide survey conducted by the Naval Academy media relations office, UALR’s roster is the seventh-youngest in the country.

• UALR has 16 active players with 13 years of playing experience for an average of 0.81 years per player.

Early RPI Report

• UALR (190) has the best RPI in the West Division of the SBC, according to RPIRatings.com

• Middle Tennessee (49) leads all SBC teams, followed by WKU (77) and FIU (181).

• Louisiana-Lafayette checks in at No. 238.

“Neighbour”hood Watch

• Preseason First Team All-Sun Belt selection Will Neighbour has reached double figures in scoring nine times in 14 games this season.

• Most recently, Neighbour narrowly missed his third double-double of the season with an 11-point, nine-rebound effort at South Alabama (12/22/12).

• For the season, Neighbour is averaging 11.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while shooting 49.2 percent from the floor. Neighbour’s rebounding rate and field goal percentage both rank tenth in the Sun Belt.

• In SBC games only, Neighbour is scoring 12.7 ppg and grabbing 8.7 rpg (4.0 offensive).

• Both Neighbour’s 8.7 rpg and 4.0 offensive rpg rank fourth in SBC games only.

• Neighbour has led UALR in scoring five times this season and has led the team in rebounding in seven games.

• Neighbour has two double-doubles on the season: a 14-point, 11-rebound effort vs. Troy (11/29/12) and a 13-point, 13-rebound effort vs. UT Martin (11/9/12).

• Neighbour’s 13 boards (2 offensive, 11 defensive) against UT Martin (11/9/12) were a career best.

• UALR is 3-1 in Neighbour’s four career double-double games.

• In 43 career games, Neighbour has reached double figures in scoring 23 times, grabbed 5+ rebounds 27 times and blocked 2+ shots 10 times.

Gillon Continues Stellar Play

• Freshman John Gillon leads UALR in scoring (11.7 ppg), assists (2.5 apg), three-point shooting (42.6 percent), made three pointers (23) and free throw shooting (83.9 percent).

• Most recently, Gillon scored 14 points in 27 minutes at South Alabama (12/22/12).

• Gillon has reached double figures in scoring seven times and led the Trojans in scoring six times on the season.

• The Houston, Texas-native has knocked down three treys in four games this season.

• Gillon’s 22 points against UT Martin (11/9/12) were the most by a UALR freshman in their college debut since the Trojans moved to Division I in 1979, a record previously held by the UALR’s all-time leading scorer, James Scott (1987-91).

White Knight

• Redshirt freshman James White is averaging 9.3 points and 5.1 boards while shooting a team-best 52.8 percent from the floor.

• White’s shooting percentage of 52.8 ranks fourth in the Sun Belt Conference.

• UALR is 6-2 in White’s eight starts this season.

• White’s 19 blocked shots tie him with teammate Michael Javes for the team lead and seventh in the conference.

• White has reached double figures in scoring in seven games and blocked 2+ shots in six games this season.

• UALR is 6-1 when White scores 10+ points and 4-2 when he blocks 2+ shots.

• The Jonesboro, Ga.-native has grabbed 5+ rebounds in nine games this year and UALR is 6-3 in those games.

Two’s Company, Three’s Perfect

• UALR is 7-2 on the season when at least three Trojans finish in double figures.

Block Party

• Sophomore Michael Javes sits in eighth place all-time at UALR with 63 blocks in 44 career games.

• Javes has 18 multi-block games in his career with the Trojans.

• UALR is 11-7 in Javes’ multi-block games.

• Javes has blocked 2+ shots in seven different games this season.

• Most recently, Javes blocked three shots at South Alabama (12/22/12).

• Javes’ 19 blocks this season currently tie him for seventh in the Sun Belt.

• Javes’ 44 blocked shots as a freshman were the seventh-most in a single season in school history.

Getting Defensive

• UALR’s scoring defense (64.8 ppg) currently ranks third in the Sun Belt Conference.

• UALR’s defensive field goal percentage (40.3 percent) ranks second in the Sun Belt.

• The Trojans’ three-point defense (28.0 percent) also ranks second in the SBC.

• The Trojans are 6-0 this season and 81-13 under Steve Shields when holding opponents under 60 points.

• UALR is 6-2 this season and 81-20 under Shields when holding its opponents under 40 percent shooting from the field.

Charity Stripe

• UALR is 7-0 this season when outscoring its opponent at the free throw line and 1-0 when free throws are tied.

• Conversely, UALR is 0-6 when it is outscored at the free throw line.

• UALR is averaging 15.1 points per game from the foul line.

• The Trojans are shooting 65.3 percent from the line and have shot 323 free throws on the season, compared to 298 attempts by their opponents.

Limiting Mistakes

• UALR is averaging 16.1 turnovers per game this season and has a +0.1 turnover margin.

• In four true road games, UALR is averaging 23.0 turnovers per game with a -10.2 turnover margin.

• UALR has committed fewer or the same number of turnovers than its opponent in ten of 14 games this season, including all eight home games.

• The Trojans are 7-1 when committing fewer turnovers than their opponents this year, 1-1 when turnovers are even and 0-4 when committing more turnovers than their opponents.

Spreading the Wealth

• UALR’s 13.0 assists per game this season currently rank second in the Sun Belt.

• Freshman John Gillon leads the Trojans at 2.5 assists per game.

• UALR is averaging 8.5 assists per game in four true road games.

Osse Coming on Strong

• Freshman Kemy Osse finished with 11 points, three rebounds, two steals and no turnovers in his first career start at South Alabama (12/22/12).

• Osse has appeared in all 14 games, and has just six turnovers in 129 minutes of action this season.

Sophomore Surge

• Sophomore Taggart Lockhart has seen his minutes increase to 23.8 per game this year, up from 15.5 as a freshman in 2011-12.

• Lockhart set new career highs in points (14), FGM (6) and FGA (11) in UALR’s win vs. Jacksonville (11/21/12).

• Lockhart is averaging 6.4 points and 3.3 rebounds and is shooting 45.5 percent from the field.

• Lockhart has grabbed 5+ rebounds three times this season and eight times in his career.

Up Next

• UALR will return home to face Western Kentucky on Jan. 3 in a game that can be seen on ESPN3.