OPENING TIP
Little Rock gets set to host the final home game of the non-conference schedule Monday evening, hosting the University of the Ozarks at 6:30 p.m. at the Jack Stephens Center. Ray Tucker and Kevin Crass will have the call between the Trojans and the Eagles on The Point 94.1 FM and online at KKPT.com.
HOME SWEET HOME
Since 2005, Little Rock has called the Jack Stephens Center home, and the venue has helped the Trojans become one of the Sun Belt's toughest home teams. Little Rock has posted a 122-62 record (.663) at the Jack since the doors opened in 2005, including a 55-21 mark (.724) against non-conference foes. The Trojans are 2-3 on their home court this season and have posted a winning home record every year at the Jack Stephens Center, winning 10 or more home games on five occasions.
NO REST FOR THE WEARY
As the non-conference schedule winds down, Little Rock is in the midst of its busiest stretch of basketball during the 2017-18 season. Beginning with the December 9th game at Central Arkansas and ending with the December 20th game at Mississippi State, the Trojans will have played five games in that 11-day stretch, traveling nearly 3,200 miles in the process. Add in the trips to Memphis, Grand Canyon and San Diego and the Trojans will have racked up almost 7,000 miles of travel through the first five weeks of the season, playing each of their road games in a different state.
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
2017-18: 3-5 overall, 1-2 American Southwest Conference, 1-2 on the road *
Last Three Games: L vs. Mary-Hardin Baylor (74-51); W at McMurry (69-64); L vs. UT-Tyler (94-70)
Head Coach: Travis Carruthers (UT-Dallas, 2007). First season at the Univ. of the Ozarks (3-5, .375)
* - Univ. of the Ozarks hosts Concordia (Texas) on Sunday, December 17 before making the trip to Little Rock
SERIES HISTORY
Little Rock and the University of the Ozarks meet for the 37th time Monday evening with the Trojans holding a 25-11 edge in the all-time series and have won 11-straight against the Eagles. Meeting for the first time in 1947-48, the Trojans and Eagles met twice yearly from 1947-53, then again from 1961-74. However, the two teams have met just twice since that 1974 game with Little Rock earning a 92-54 victory in 2007 and a 100-61 win last year, both coming at the Jack Stephens Center. Ozark's last win in the series was an 80-76 victory in Clarksville during the 1968-69 season, giving Little Rock 16 victories in the last 18 meetings between the two schools.
LAST TIME OUT
Down nine with just over three minutes to play, Little Rock rallied to within two at Sam Houston State and had the ball in the waning seconds, but the feed inside for the potential game-tying lay-up was stolen away with two seconds left as the Trojans dropped the 57-55 decision to the Bearkats in Huntsville. The game was a tale of extended runs as Little Rock used an 18-2 stretch midway through the first half to build an eight point lead on Sam Houston and held a four-point lead at halftime. But a 19-3 run for the Bearkats in the second half helped Sam Houston State build that nine-point cushion before holding on for the victory.Â
CORCORAN IN THE CLUTCH
Over the past two games, freshman guard
Cameron Corcoran has begun to show his shooting touch for Little Rock. The Orlando, Florida native has led the Trojans in scoring in each of the past two games, registering a career-best 14 points at Bradley on December 13, then finishing with 11 points at Sam Houston State on Friday, December 15. Over the past two games, Corcoran has hit 8-of-13 from the floor (61.5%) and is 7-of-12 from three-point range (58.3%) while going 2-of-3 (66.7%) from the free throw line.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH
The other half of the freshman guard duo has also proven to be a significant contributor for Little Rock this season.
Jaizec Lottie has started 10 of 11 games at the point guard position for the Trojans and currently leads the team in assists (36) while ranking second in steals (eight) and is third in both points per game (6.7) and minutes per game (26.2). The Aurora, Colorado native also ranks fourth in both field goals (24) and three pointers made (eight).
BASKETBALL JONES
Sophomore
Andre Jones has emerged as the Trojans' top scoring threat in 2017-18 as the Little Rock native leads the team in both points per game (13.0) and minutes per game (29.2) while ranking second in both rebounds per game (4.9) and assists (20). Jones has been the Trojans' leading scorer in six of the 10 games he has played this season, finishing in double figures seven times and highlighted by his back-to-back games of scoring 24 against Central Arkansas (Nov. 29) and a career-high 25 against Oral Roberts (Dec. 2).
IRON UNKIND
Despite Little Rock's success in the paint, beyond the arc has proven to be its Achilles heel, although it is steadily improving. Heading into the pair of games last week, the Trojans ranked 350th out of 351st in three-point shooting percentage. Little Rock had its two most productive outings of the year from beyond the arc against both Bradley and Sam Houston State, hitting a combined 17 threes in the two match ups. While decidedly not where the Trojans want to be, Little Rock has moved up a number of spots to 344th nationally, shooting 26.6 percent from three-point range.
PLAYING CATCH-UP
One of the biggest struggles Little Rock has faced through the first month of the 2017-18 season has been its habit of playing from behind. In the first 11 games of the season, the Trojans have led for just 124:06 of the 450 minutes played, roughly 28% of game time to date. Additionally, the Trojans have had to overcome some sizable deficits as Little Rock has found itself trailing by 10 points or more in nine of its first 11 games.Â
CLOSING IN ON 1,000
An impressive program milestone remains tantalizingly close for
Wes Flanigan's squad. Playing in its 80th season, Little Rock has compiled an overall program record of 991-1,011 (.495), sitting just nine wins shy of reaching 1,000 victories. The Trojans have accumulated 35 winning seasons in program history and have won 20 or more games 11 times, highlighted by the memorable 30-win campaign in 2016-17. The Trojans have already hit another big milestone this season as the December 9th game at Central Arkansas marked the 2,000th game in program history.
TROJANS AGAINST THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST
Little Rock has seen its fair share of American Southwest Conference opponents, although very little of it has been since the Trojans made the jump to Division I. Little Rock is 58-31 (.652) against current members Belhaven, East Texas Baptist, Hardin-Simmons, LeTourneau, Louisiana College and the University of the Ozarks, although the vast majority of those games occurred in the 1960s and 70s. In fact, the Trojans have only played two games against ASC foes since the 1990-91 season as both of those were against the University of the Ozarks, the team Little Rock has faced the most and owns a 25-11 all-time record against the Eagles.Â
REPRESENTING THE NATURAL STATE
Monday night's game will be a showcase of basketball talent for the Natural State as a combined 15 players will hail from the state of Arkansas (six for Little Rock, nine for Ozarks). Additionally, the city of Little Rock will be well represented as a combined seven players for the Trojans and Eagles call Arkansas' capital city home.
VIVA STARK-VEGAS
Little Rock closes out the non-conference portion of its 2017-18 schedule Wednesday as the Trojans will make the trip to Starkville, Mississippi, to face Mississippi State out of the Southeastern Conference. The game against the Bulldogs marks the seventh road game of the year for the Trojans as all seven will have been played in a different state. Opening tip at Humphrey Coliseum will be at 7 p.m. with the game being televised on SEC Network +.
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