Box Score LITTLE ROCK ? Western Kentucky University (15-12, 8-6) ripped off a 25-2 first-half run Saturday night on its way to a 67-46 victory over the UALR men's basketball team (7-18, 3-11) at the Jack Stephens Center. AJ Slaughter led all players with 20 points and eight assists as WKU improved to 8-6 in Sun Belt Conference play.
The Hilltoppers took a 37-17 lead into the break after holding UALR to a .167 shooting percentage over the first 20 minutes, and prevented a Trojan comeback by shooting 50.0 percent from the field in the second half. WKU enjoyed a +12 rebounding margin in the win (42-to-30) and turned UALR's nine turnovers into 18 points.
“We're going to find out a lot about our team over the next two weeks heading into the Sun Belt Tournament,” said UALR head coach Steve Shields. “One of the things we've always prided ourselves on is rebounding margin. Over my first six years as head coach, the worst we have been as a team in conference play is plus-1.9. We came into tonight with a minus-3.5 margin, and that all goes back to toughness, will and guts to go after the ball.”
Sophomore Courtney Jackson led the Trojans with nine points and a game-high 11 rebounds in the losing effort, while junior Ricky Davison and senior Wayne Burton chipped in eight points apiece off the bench.
UALR shot just 27.8 percent on the night, including a 3-of-16 effort from three-point range (18.8 percent). The Hilltoppers converted 19-of-24 free throws in the win (79.2), and received 13 points off the bench from Caden Dickerson.
The Trojans held an early 7-5 lead at the start of the game following a three-point play by Jackson, but the Hilltoppers scored 15-unanswered points as part of a 25-2 to go on top 30-9 with 8:30 left in the half. Steffphon Pettigrew scored the final six points of WKU's run off a three pointer and a three-point play.
UALR followed up Jackson's three-point play by going scoreless for the next 6:12 before Burton knocked down a pair of foul shots at the 11:05 mark, and 9:33 between made field goals. Davison finally snapped UALR's field goal drought with a three pointer with 7:44 left in the half.
The Trojans shot just 16.7 percent from the field in the first half (4-of-24) and were minus-6 on the glass (24-to-18). UALR committed just five turnovers over the first 20 minutes, but WKU made the most of its opportunities by scoring 12 points off turnovers. Slaughter led all players with 14 points at the break, thanks in large part to a perfect 7-for-7 effort at the foul line
UALR returns to action Thursday, Feb. 18 when it travels to Denver, Colo. to take on the Pioneers.
