Little Rock Tops UCA, Improves to 6-0 for First Time

LITTLE ROCK – The Little Rock men's basketball team improved to 6-0 for the first time in its Division I history with a 79-73 win over Central Arkansas (1-5) Tuesday night at the Jack Stephens Center. The Trojans put four players in double figures and shot 49.1 percent from the floor as a team.
 
"First of all, I give all the credit to the players," first-year head coach Chris Beard said after the win. "It's nothing I've done, they're the ones who have bought in. They're the ones scoring baskets and getting stops and working hard. I'm just proud to be their coach."
 
Marcus Johnson Jr. led all scorers with 28 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including a 4-of-6 effort from 3-point range. Roger Woods and Josh Hagins added 12 points each, with Hagins adding seven assists, five rebounds and two steals. Lis Shoshi scored 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting.
 
Before tonight, just two Division I-era Little Rock teams (1994-95 and 2008-09) had started a season 5-0. The 2015-16 team is the first to make it six straight wins to start the season, which included three victories away from the Jack Stephens Center.
 
"To start off 6-0, which is a record, that means a lot because of all the players and coaches that came here before us," Beard said. "You think of all the successful teams and successful coaches and great players, for us to be a part of history in a small way is pretty special, and that's something that we embrace."
 
Little Rock led 38-28 at halftime, but UCA rebounded by scoring nine of the first 11 points out of the break to cut the deficit to three on Jake Zuilhof's layup that made it 40-37 with 16:20 to play. The Trojans answered with a Johnson triple that jumpstarted a 7-0 run to get the margin back to 10.
 
The Bears continued to hang around and made a late push to trim the deficit to four. With Little Rock leading by 11 with 1:33 to go, UCA rattled off seven unanswered points to pull within four, 75-71, with 30 seconds to play.
 
The Trojans' defense came up big when it mattered most, forcing the Bears into consecutive offensive fouls and hitting four straight free throws to make it an eight-point game with 12 seconds to play. Jordan Howard's jumper in the final seconds brought the game to its 79-73 final score.
 
The Trojans did most of their damage in the lane, leading 38-20 on points in the paint. Little Rock's defense forced UCA into 19 turnovers, which it converted into 33 points. Led by Johnson, Little Rock's bench outscored UCA's reserves 50-19.
 
Little Rock came into the game among the national leaders in turnover margin and free throw shooting and delivered in both categories. The Trojans turned it over just eight times – their third game of the season with fewer than 10 miscues – and made 20 of 23 shots from the foul line.
 
The Bears' offense did have some success against the Trojans' defense. UCA was able to score 73 points and shoot 48.9 percent from the floor, both of which are season highs for Little Rock opponents. Howard (22) and Brooks (16) combined for 38 points.
 
Little Rock returns to action on Saturday when it hits to the road to face Idaho. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. (CST).