Box Score BOCA
RATON, Fla. - UALR committed just five turnovers and grabbed 17
offensive rebounds, but couldn't overcome a 33.3-percent shooting night as the
Trojans (15-14, 9-9 SBC) were handed their fourth-straight loss by Florida
Atlantic (13-17, 8-11 SBC) 73-59 at FAU Arena on Saturday. The Owls' Greg Gantt (26)
and Stefan Moody (25) combined for 51 of FAU's 73 points on the night.
Junior Leroy
Isler led UALR on offense with 14 points, one off his career high, on 6-of-13
shooting. Isler added a team-high seven rebounds and a steal in 34 minutes.
Freshman Josh Hagins scored 10
points and sophomore Ben Dillard
chipped in nine on 3-of-9 shooting. Sophomore Michael Javes grabbed six rebounds and contributed five points, and
junior Will Neighbour scored eight
points and pulled down five rebounds.
The Trojans committed just five turnovers in the game
and led 14-to-4 in points-off-turnovers. But UALR finished the night shooting
just 33.3 percent from the field (21-of-63), 23.1 percent from three-point
range (3-of-13) and 60.9 percent from the foul line (14-of-23). UALR was
outrebounded 40-to-37 and trailed 30-to-24 in points-in-the-paint.
The Owls shot 48.1 percent from the floor (25-of-52) on
the night and knocked down 7-of-17 three-pointers. FAU also connected on
16-of-21 free throw attempts.
UALR never led in a first half that saw them shoot 31.3
percent from the floor, 33.3 percent from the foul line and 16.7 percent from
three-point range. A bucket by Hagins pulled UALR within a point at 5-4 just over
four minutes into the half, but Florida Atlantic answered with four-straight to
go up 9-4.
UALR tied the game at nine on a trey by Dillard and
bucket in the lane by Neighbour, then knotted the game again at 17-all on
consecutive buckets by Isler and Gillon with just under nine minutes left in
the half. The Owls rattled off eight-straight to take their largest lead of the
half, 25-17, and went up 29-21 on two free throws by Gantt with 1:35 on the
clock. Isler connected on a shot to make it 29-23 heading into halftime.
With FAU up eight, layups by Isler and Dillard pulled
UALR within four at the 15:45 mark of the second half. The Owls answered with
six-straight to go up ten, and eventually took an 11-point lead following a layup
by Moody at the 12:03 mark.
UALR trimmed the deficit to eight twice - first on an
old-fashioned three-point play by Gillon with just under five minutes to play,
and again on two free throws by freshman Kemy
Osse with 3:54 remaining. Following Osse's free throws, free throws by
Gantt and Moody put the Owls back up 11, and a three-point play by Moody put
Florida Atlantic up 14 with 2:08 left.
UALR plays its final two regular-season games next week
at the Jack Stephens Center. The Trojans host Louisiana-Lafayette on Thursday
at 7:30 p.m. before facing off against Arkansas State in the regular-season
finale at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
