Box Score MIAMI, Fla. - The UALR men's basketball team (12-9, 4-2 SBC) extended its win streak to four games with a 78-70 victory over Florida International (8-10, 3-3) at U.S. Century Bank Arena on Thursday night. The Trojans dominated the Golden Panthers in the first half to build a 43-28 lead at the break, and managed to stave off one FIU rally after another in the second half to snap an 11-game road losing streak in league play.
"It was a much-needed win for us tonight. I couldn't be more proud of our senior leadership," said UALR head coach Steve Shields. "I thought our overall energy level and enthusiasm was very good. I didn't think anyone cared who got the shot on the offensive end or who got the credit."
FIU opened the second half with a 15-4 run to make it a four-point ballgame, 47-43, but UALR shot 56.5 percent from the field over the final 20 minutes to fend off the Golden Panthers. UALR shot 51.8 percent from the field on the night and held FIU to a .392 clip to overcome a 29-to-13 disparity in scoring at the foul line.
Four different players scored in double figures for UALR, led by 15 points apiece from seniors Alex Garcia-Mendoza and Matt Mouzy. Senior Derrick Bails and junior Courtney Jackson each grabbed eight boards in the win to help UALR to a +11 rebounding margin (37-to-26).
Jeremy Allen was one of five players to reach double figures in points for FIU, finishing with a game-high 18 points thanks in part to a 7-of-7 effort at the foul line. Leading-scorer Erik Frederick was limited to four minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, and finished with five points and five rebounds over 22 minutes.
UALR took a 43-28 lead into the break after holding FIU to a 6-of-24 effort from the field over the first 20 minutes. The Trojans shot 48.5 percent as a team in the first half (16-of-33), but FIU managed to stay in the game by converting 16-of-17 free throws (94.1 percent).
The Trojans played to a +15 rebounding margin in the first half, and had more offensive rebounds (12) than FIU had total rebounds (11) in the opening stanza. UALR parlayed its rebounding dominance into a 14-to-5 edge in second-chance points in the half. Garcia-Mendoza led all players with 11 points in the break, while UALR's reserves outscored FIU's bench 21-to-12 paced by eight points from Chuck Guy.
FIU opened the second half on a 15-4 run, by going 6-of-7 from the field out of the gate, to pull within four, 47-43, with 15:51 left to play. UALR answered with six-unanswered points, with baskets from three different players, to go back on top by 10, 53-43. The Golden Panthers kept chipping away at UALR's lead, but were never able to make it a one-possession game. FIU was able to pull within five on three occasions, but UALR had an answer every time. Leading 67-61, Guy fed Mouzy on a three pointer from the wing with 2:06 remaining to make it a 70-61 contest and put FIU away for good.
UALR returns to action Saturday afternoon when it faces Florida Atlantic at 12 p.m. (CT) in a game which will be televised by ESPN2.
