Little Rock Welcomes Centenary to JSC Wednesday

Game Notes

GM2: Little Rock (1-0) vs. Centenary (0-1)
Wednesday, Nov. 18 | 5:15 p.m. (CST)
Little Rock, Ark. | Jack Stephens Center
Radio: The Point 94.1 FM / KKPT.com
Talent: Ray Tucker (PxP) and Bobby Vint (Analyst)
Live Stats | Live Video
 
LITTLE ROCK – The Little Rock men's basketball team will play game No. 2 of the Chris Beard era when it hosts Centenary at 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday. The Little Rock women's basketball team will host LSU in the back end of the doubleheader.
 
Wednesday is Hometown Heroes night at the Jack Stephens Center. Service personnel and veterans will receive one free ticket to the doubleheader. The first 500 fans will receive a free mini flag and dog tag. Chick-fil-A will also be served in the concessions stands. At halftime of the men's game, the women's basketball team will have its 2014-15 championship banners unveiled.
 
The Trojans are coming off a 76-57 win over Central Baptist to open the season on Saturday. Four Little Rock players finished in double figures as the team used a hot-shooting first half to build an early lead. Josh Hagins led Little Rock with 12 points to go along with four rebounds, four assists and two steals. Lis Shoshi nearly earned a double-double in his debut, scoring 11 points and grabbing nine rebounds.
 
Former TAAC foe Centenary is the preseason favorite in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, receiving six of the league's eight first-place votes. The Gents are the defending regular-season champions after going 17-10 and 11-3 in league play in 2014-15. Centenary returns 76.3 percent of its scoring from the 2014-15 season. The list of returners includes junior forward James Sapp, who as a sophomore was named the SCAC Player of the Year.
 
The Gents are 0-1 on the season with their second game – at home vs. East Texas Baptist – set for Tuesday night.
 
Wednesday's meeting between Little Rock and Centenary will be the 37th matchup between the two programs. After Wednesday, the Trojans will have squared off with just four opponents (Arkansas State, Western Kentucky, Louisiana and South Alabama) on more occasions than the Gents. Little Rock leads the all-time series 24-12.
 
Quick Hits
• Little Rock began its 78th season of basketball with a 76-57 win over Central Baptist at the Jack Stephens Center on Saturday, Nov. 14.
• The 19-point victory margin was the largest for a Little Rock coach making his debut since John Kincannon in the 1951-52 season (24-point win).
• New head coach Chris Beard is the 21st head coach in program history and the ninth of its Division I era.
• Beard comes to Little Rock after two seasons at Angelo State, where he went 47-15 and led ASU to the 2015 NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen and No. 19 national ranking in 2014-15.
• Beard was named the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) South Central Region and Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year after leading Angelo State to a program-record 28 wins in the 2014-15 season.
• Beard sports a record of 142-45 (.759) in six-plus seasons as a head coach.
• Little Rock's 2015-16 roster features 10 newcomers, including seven with immediate eligibility.
• Little Rock returns four lettermen and three redshirt players from its 2014-15 squad.