Box Score LITTLE ROCK - The UALR men's basketball team (2-1) raced out to an 18-1 lead against St. Gregory's University on Wednesday night en route to a convincing 108-58 victory over the Cavaliers (3-2). UALR established a new school record as eight different players scored in double figures, including freshman
Chuck Guy, who approached a triple-double with 10 points and team highs of nine rebounds and eight assists in 21 minutes off the bench.
The outcome was never in question on Wednesday night, as the Trojans shot 59.2 percent from the field and enjoyed a +20 rebounding margin (52-to-32). UALR racked up 26 assists on 45 field goals, and limited the Cavaliers to a .270 field goal percentage with 19 turnovers. SGU's Fayzon Richey led all players with 25 points in the losing effort, thanks in large part to a perfect 13-for-13 effort at the foul line.
UALR scored eight-unanswered points at the onset of the game on its way to an 18-1 run over the first 5:22. The Trojan defense jumped on the Cavaliers from the start, recording five steals over the first 4:25. Junior Eric Kibi came up with two of those steals and scored 11 of the team's first 16 points to help the Trojans assert their will early on.
UALR shot 61.9 percent from the field over the first 20 minutes (26-of-42), and held the Cavaliers to a paltry 7-of-29 effort (24.1 percent) to take a 60-26 edge into the break. Leading 66-33 with 16:51 left in the game, the Trojans ripped off a 16-0 run, capped off by a three-point play by senior Matt Mouzy, to go on top 82-33 with 12:14 remaining. UALR's lead reached as high as 54 points, 101-47, after junior Marlon Louzeiro made 1-of-2 foul shots with 4:03 left in the game.
Louzeiro made his first start as a Trojan on Wednesday and responded with personal bests of 13 points and six rebounds off 6-of-8 shooting. Kibi finished with 14 points and six rebounds, while senior Solomon Bozeman chipped in 11 points off 4-of-7 shooting.
Five players scored in double figures off the bench for UALR as the Trojan reserves outscored St. Gregory's entire team (63-to-58). Mouzy poured in a team-high 16 points in 17 minutes off the bench, while junior Courtney Jackson, senior Montrell Thornton and freshman Reggie Sonnier added 11 points apiece, followed by 10 points from Guy. Sonnier was the last Trojan to reach double figures, nailing a three pointer with 12 seconds remaining (off an assist from Guy) to bring the game to its 108-58 finale.
UALR enjoyed a 60-to-10 advantage on points in the paint, and used its 12 steals to outscore the Cavaliers 23-to-4 in points off turnovers. The Trojans grabbed 17 offensive rebounds in the win, led by four offensive boards from junior Tramar Sutherland. Jackson followed up Guy's game-high nine-rebound performance with eight boards of his own.
The Trojans return to action Sunday afternoon when they host Illinois State at 2 p.m.
