LR Looks to Clinch Outright SBC Championship Saturday

GM29: Little Rock (25-3, 15-2 SBC) vs. Texas State (12-13, 6-10 SBC)
Saturday, Feb. 27 | 6 p.m. (CST)
Little Rock, Ark. | Jack Stephens Center (5,600)
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 clinch its first-ever outright Sun Belt Conference Championship on Saturday when it hosts Texas State at the Jack Stephens Center. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
 
Saturday is '80s Night at the Jack Stephens Center. Fans are encouraged to dress up in their best '80s gear and cheer on the Trojans. It is also the final doubleheader of the season for the Junior Trojans Club Kids Zone on Fisher Court. Day passes are available for $10.
 
A win Saturday would also match Little Rock's record for wins in a season (26). The Trojans have a chance to become just the second Sun Belt Conference team in the league's history (1992-93 New Orleans) to win 26 of 29 games to start a season.
 
Thursday's win, combined with Arkansas State's loss and Louisiana's win, ensures the Trojans of the No. 1 seed at the Sun Belt Tournament in New Orleans. Little Rock is now locked into the semifinal game on Saturday, March 12 at 1 p.m. at Lakefront Arena.
 
Texas State is 12-13 overall and 6-10 in Sun Belt play following a 71-60 win at Arkansas State on Thursday night. The Bobcats will have won three of four entering Saturday's matchup at the Jack Stephens Center.
 
Preseason First Team All-Sun Belt pick Emani Gant leads Texas State in scoring (13.5 ppg) and rebounding (7.4 rpg). Gant shoots 50.6 percent from the floor and 75.5 percent from the foul line.
 
In this season's first meeting, Little Rock used a Josh Hagins buzzer-beater to top Texas State 77-74 in overtime at Strahan Coliseum on Jan. 21. The Trojans trailed by 10 at halftime and led for just 6:04 of the game's 45 total minutes.
 
Hagins led four Trojans in double figures with 19 points on 5-of-10 shooting and a perfect 8-of-8 performance at the foul line. Mareik Isom scored a season-high 14 points while making all five of his shots from the floor. Lis Shoshi and Kemy Osse added 13 points each.
 
Little Rock leads 7-2 in the all-time series.
 
Quick Hits
• Little Rock is off to its best start in program history and tied for the best record in the nation at 25-3 (.893).
• Little Rock is in sole possession of first place in the Sun Belt Conference, and a win Saturday would clinch the program's first-ever outright SBC Championship.
• Little Rock has already secured its first-ever No. 1 seed and a double-bye at the Sun Belt Tournament in New Orleans, La.
• Little Rock recently secured its first 20-win season since 2008-09, and 10th in its Division I history.
• Little Rock has established a new program record for regular-season wins, and is one win shy of matching the overall record of 26 set in 1986-87.
• Little Rock is 12-0 at home and has won an arena-record 14 straight at the JSC dating back to last season.
• Little Rock's 12 road wins are a program record and second-most nationally in 2015-16.
• Little Rock's scoring defense ranks first nationally (58.4 ppg) and its defensive FG% (.378) ranks fourth.
• 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.