GM21: Little Rock (18-2, 8-1 SBC) vs. Georgia State (12-6, 5-4 SBC)
Saturday, Jan. 30 | 6 p.m. (CST)
Little Rock, Ark. | Jack Stephens Center (5,600)
TV: ESPN3
Talent: Matt Stewart (PxP), Bob Donewald (Analyst)
Radio: The Point 94.1 FM / KKPT.com
Talent: Ray Tucker (PxP), Bobby Vint (Analyst)
Live Stats | Live Video | Game Notes LITTLE ROCK – Little Rock will look to earn its 19
th win of the season and stay unbeaten at the Jack Stephens Center when it hosts Georgia State on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
Saturday is Little Rock's second #PackTheJack doubleheader of the season, and Tech Wallets courtesy of Edward Jones Financial Advisor Tommy Howard will be given out to the first 250 fans at the arena. Governor Asa Hutchinson will be on hand to present the Sun Belt Conference Community Service Award to the Little Rock student-athletes. Additionally, 3,500 loaves of Sara Lee bread will be given away at the conclusion of the men's game.
The game will be broadcasted on ESPN3, with Matt Stewart and Bob Donewald calling the action.
Little Rock is currently one of just 11 teams in the nation with 18 victories, and just five with a win percentage of .900 or better. The Trojans are tied for the national lead with nine true road wins, and will look to win their 11
th straight game at the Jack Stephens Center.
The Trojans are coming off an 80-67 win over Georgia Southern on Thursday that saw the team shoot 51.0 percent from the floor and make 13 of 22 3-pointers.
Marcus Johnson Jr. matched his season high of seven made 3-pointers, which is one shy of the arena record.
Coming off a 75-69 overtime defeat at Arkansas State on Thursday night, Saturday's game at the Jack Stephens Center will cap a three-game road swing for Georgia State.
The reigning Sun Belt Conference regular season and tournament champions, Georgia State has gone 37-10 since joining the league three years ago, going 17-1 in 2013-14 and 15-5 in 2014-15. The Panthers are one of just 20 programs in the country to have won 25 or more games in each of the last two seasons.
Indiana transfer Jeremy Hollowell leads the Panthers in scoring at 14.8 points per game. Kevin Ware is scoring 13.1 ppg while Markus Crider averaged 8.6 points and 5.2 rebounds.
As a team, Georgia State is scoring 66.4 points per game and limiting opponents to just 63.5 points per game to rank 20th nationally. The Panthers rank 35th nationally with just 219 turnovers this season.
Quick Hits• Little Rock is off to its best start in program history and is one of five teams in the nation with a record of 18-2 or better (.900).
• Just 11 teams in the nation currently have as many wins as Little Rock (18).
• Little Rock is tied for the national lead with nine true road victories.
• Little Rock is 8-0 at home and has won an arena-record 10 straight games at the Jack Stephens Center.
• Little Rock is off to its first-ever 8-1 start to Sun Belt play and is in sole possession of first place in the SBC standings.
• Little Rock's scoring defense ranks first nationally (58.5 ppg) and its defensive FG% (.373) ranks fifth.
• Little Rock is 11th nationally in turnover margin (4.4) and ranks 23rd in turnovers per game (10.6).
• Little Rock leads the SBC in scoring defense, defensive FG%, turnovers per game, turnover margin, and free throw percentage.
• Head coach
Chris 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.
