Box Score
Two Zacks pace Trojans to win over FIU
Jan. 6, 2005
Box
score
Zack Wright and Zack Graber scored 15 points each
and Richard Hardman added 11 as UALR opened Sun Belt Conference play with
a 67-57 win over Florida International Thursday night at Alltel Arena.
The Trojans (9-4, 1-0) led by nine at the half, but
FIU (7-6, 0-1) rallied to tie the game at 41-41 before UALR 9-0 run to go
up 50-41 with 7:14 left in the game.
"I thought we were a little bit complacent to start
the second half," UALR coach Steve Shields said. "We didn't have the same
bounce and energy as we had in the first half. However, I'm proud of our
guys from a mental-tougnhess standpoint to get the momentum turned after
FIU tied the game at 41."
Shields was quick to acknowledge the work that
first-year FIU coach Sergio Rouco has done with the Golden Panthers:
"You have to give credit to FIU with their defensive
intensity and their ability to take us out of our sets. We have to make
sure that we play at a high-energy level for 40 minutes."
Florida International came into the game leading the
conference in defensive field goal percentage at .393. UALR shot 42.9
percent (18-of-42) from the field, and both teams shot 28.6 percent from
three-point range.
FIU went on a 6-0 run to open the second half to cut
UALR's lead to three, 34-31, with 17:15 remaining. Two free throws and a
layup from Wright were sandwiched around a layup by Darius Eason and a
basket by FIU's Kenny Sims and UALR was up 40-33 with 15:20 left.
Ivan Almonte a jumper for the Golden Panthers, while
Ismael N'Diaye converted a three-point play as FIU pulled to within 40-38.
Wright hit a free throw for UALR before a three-pointer by Junior Matias
tied the game at 41-41. UALR then went on its run, and Florida
International could get no closer than six the rest of the game.
Graber's 15 points was a career high for the senior
guard, as he went 4-of-8 from the field and hit two treys in the first
half.
"Graber was relentless for us tonight," Shields
said. "He played all 40 minutes and scored a career high. Between him and
Zack Wright, our ball-handling was a big plus for us."
One area in which the Trojans need to improve,
Shields said, was in the number offensive rebounds they give up. FIU
grabbed 18 offensive boards on the night, the second-most any opponent has
recorded this season.
"We held them to four [offensive rebounds] in the
first half, and then gave up 14 in the second," Shields said. "We've got
to do a better job than that."
UALR was outrebounded 36-29 on the night, and
notched just nine rebounds on the offensive glass,
An area in which UALR did meet its goal was in free
throws. Shields' target each game is for the Trojans to make more free
throws than their opponents shoot. UALR went 27-of-34 from the line, while
FIU was 13-of-23.
UALR continues Sun Belt play on Monday with a rare
one-game road trip to Middle Tennessee. Normally, the Trojans make swing
through Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Bowling Green, Ky., to also face Western
Kentucky. With UALR playing an ESPN BracketBuster game on Feb 19, however,
the trip was broken up this season. The Trojans play at Western Kentucky
on Feb. 17.
