LITTLE ROCK – Little Rock will play its home finale on Monday against Georgia Southern. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. and the game be televised on the American Sports Network and streamed on ESPN3/WatchESPN.
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Monday is Season Ticket Holder Appreciation Night at the Jack Stephens Center. Fans will be able to see the 2017 NCAA Tournament Championship trophy on display at the game, take pictures using the
Little Rock Trojans X fan app and visit the season ticket holder booth for $1 popcorn and $1 Pepsi vouchers.
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Through the department's partnership with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock's EIT/Emerging Analytics Center, the Little Rock Trojans X fan app will be updated with the ability to take selfies with the 2017 NCAA Tournament Championship trophy.
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The Emerging Analytics Center will also update the fan app so that fans can take selfies during the Sun Belt Tournament in New Orleans with members of the men's and women's teams.
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The Trojans are coming off a 71-54 loss to Georgia State on Saturday night. Little Rock led for the majority of the first half, but a slow start to the second half allowed the Panthers to build a lead and eventually pull away for the win.
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Lis Shoshi led Little Rock with 12 points, his second double-digit scoring effort since returning from injury in early February.
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Coming off a 72-60 win at Arkansas State on Saturday, Georgia Southern is 18-11 overall and 11-5 in Sun Belt Conference play. The Eagles are currently tied for second place in the Sun Belt standings.
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Georgia Southern started conference play with seven straight wins, but is 4-5 since and has lost three of its last five games. Averaging 77.7 points per game as a team, the Eagle are led by sophomores Ike Smith (19.8 ppg) and Tookie Brown (18.0 ppg) on offense. Georgia Southern turns it over just 11.8 times per game, second-fewest in the Sun Belt, and leads the league with 9.3 made 3-pointers per contest.
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The Eagles lead the Trojans 16-14 in the all-time series. Little Rock swept the two meetings in 2015-16, including an 80-67 win at the Jack Stephens Center on Jan. 28, 2016.
Marcus Johnson Jr. scored 24 points and made 7 of 10 3-pointers in last season's win at the JSC.
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Head coach Mark Byington is in his fourth season as head coach.
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Quick Hits
• Little Rock controlled the majority of the opening half, but couldn't keep the momentum after halftime in a 71-54 loss to Georgia State on Saturday.
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Lis Shoshi paced Little Rock with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting against Georgia State.
Kemy Osse made three 3-pointers and scored 11 points.
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Lis Shoshi blocked one shot vs. Georgia State and now has 12 blocks over his last four games.
• Shoshi's five blocks at Texas State (2/11) were the most by a Little Rock player since Michael Javes blocked five shots at Arkansas State on Jan. 14, 2012.
• Little Rock leads the Sun Belt Conference and ranks 69th nationally in free throw percentage (.733).
• Little Rock is shooting a league-best 75.6 percent from the foul line in Sun Belt games.
• Little Rock has limited its turnovers to 10 or fewer in four of the last seven games.
• Monday will be the first and only regular-season meeting between Little Rock and Georgia Southern.
• Little Rock swept the 2015-16 season series with Georgia Southern, but the Eagles lead 16-14 all-time.
• The series is tied 2-2 since Georgia Southern joined the Sun Belt in 2014-15.
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Sun Belt Championship Tickets
The 2017 Sun Belt Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Championships are scheduled for a week of March Madness in the Big Easy. New Orleans will once again be home to the two championships that will take place at Lakefront Arena from March 7-12 and ticket books can now be purchased from your our ticket office. For more information, visit the Sun Belt Conference's championship central websites - Men's Championship – Women's Championship – and be sure to follow the @FunBelt on social media - @SunBelt.
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