STARTING FIVE
• Little Rock and Tulsa meet for the 11th time in program history with the two teams splitting the first 10 meetings.
• Little Rock is 1-4 all-time in Tulsa, winning 64-60 in 2015 at Donald W. Reynolds Center.
• The game at Tulsa is the final game of Little Rock's three-game road trip, a swing that has taken the Trojans to three different states and traveling nearly 4,500 miles in the process.
• Both Rayjon Tucker and Jaizec Lottie have scored in double figures through Little Rock's first three games.
• Little Rock is shooting 49.2 percent from the floor, ranking 69th nationally.
OPENING TIP
Little Rock closes out its three-game road trip in Oklahoma, taking on Tulsa Monday, November 19, tipping at 7 p.m. at the Donald W. Reynolds Center. The game with the Golden Hurricane will stream live on Hurricane Vision at TulsaHurricane.com with Ray Tucker calling the action live on The Point 94.1 FM.
TOURNAMENT TIME
Little Rock's game at Tulsa marks its second of four as part of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Holiday Classic. The tournament began with the Trojans' game at sixth-ranked Nevada Friday and continues this weekend when Little Rock welcomes UAPB, Cal Baptist and Howard to the Jack Stephens Center for four games in two days Friday, November 23 and Saturday, November 24.
TROJANS IN THE SOONER STATE
Monday's game at Tulsa will be the 47th game in program history against a team from the bordering Sooner State with Little Rock posting an 18-28 (.391) all-time record against Oklahoma opponents. Tulsa has been the team the Trojans have faced the most as the Trojans and Golden Hurricane have split 10 meetings in a series that started in 2006.Â
RACKING UP THE MILES
Little Rock's three-game road trip has taken the Trojans to three different states early in the 2018-19 season, racking up nearly 4,500 miles in the process. Little Rock will have suited up in Tennessee, Nevada and Oklahoma already this season, knocking off three of the nine states the Trojans will play a road game in this season.
WIN #1,000
Little Rock notched a milestone victory in its 83-67 win over Tennessee State Tuesday evening in Nashville, registering the 1,000th victory in program history. Playing its first season in 1930-31, the Trojans have accumulated 35 winning seasons, winning 20 or more games 11 times, as 663 of those 1,000 victories have come at the Division I level.
LAST TIME OUT
Facing the sixth-ranked team in the nation, Little Rock dropped an 87-59 decision at Nevada at the Lawlor Events Center Friday evening in Reno. The Trojans were held to just 34.9 percent shooting from the floor, the first time this year they were held under 50 percent shooting, despite a career-high 21 points from Rayjon Tucker. The game against the Wolf Pack marked the highest-ranked foe Little Rock has faced since a 71-53 loss to second-ranked Kentucky in 2012.Â
RAYJON RISING
Redshirt junior Rayjon Tucker continues to impress in his first season on the court for Little Rock. Tucker led all players with 21 points at Nevada, hitting eight of his 13 shots against the Wolf Pack. He is one of two Trojans to score in double figures in each of the first three games and leads the team, averaging 16.7 points per game, while shooting 62.5% from the floor, ranking fourth in the Sun Belt Conference. Tucker also leads the team in minutes (35.7 mpg) and is third in rebounding (5.0 rpg).
LEAN ON LOTTIE
One of the most consistent players for Little Rock over the last two years has been sophomore Jaizec Lottie, who came up big at sixth-ranked Nevada finishing just shy of a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds. It was the 11th double-figure output of Lottie's career as he joins Rayon Tucker as the two players who have finished in double figures in each game this season. Lottie ranks second in minutes (93), third in scoring (11.7 ppg) and second in assists (10), starting 34 of his 35 games in a Trojan uniform.
STRONG INSIDE
A hallmark of Little Rock's teams over the past few years has been strong play inside, and 2018-19 is shaping up to following in those footsteps. Through two games, the Trojans have outscored their opponents 96-46 in points in the paint, outscoring their opponents by at least 20 in both games. Little Rock held a 44-24 edge over Southeastern Oklahoma State in the season opener, then dominated Tennessee State Tuesday, outscoring the Tigers 52-22 in the paint in Nashville.
FIRE AT WILL
One thing Little Rock has gotten quite comfortable with through the first two games of 2018-19 is watching their opponents square up from beyond the arc. The Trojans' first two opponents have put up a combined 109 three-point attempts (47 from Southeastern Oklahoma State, 35 from Tennessee State, 27 from Nevada), making 40 for a 36.7% three-point percentage. Tulsa, on the other hand, has attempted just 48 three-pointers (16.0 per game), placing an emphasis on a strong inside game.
TAKING THEIR SHOTS
One area that has seen a significant improvement early from Little Rock is in field goal percentage. The Trojans rank 69th nationally, shooting 49.2 percent from the floor, despite coming off its worst shooting game of the year at Nevada (34.9%). It is a far cry from 2017-18 when the Trojans ranked 275th nationally, posting a 42.7 shooting percentage.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN HURRICANE
2018-19: 3-0 overall, 0-0 American Conference, 3-0 at home
Last Three Games: W vs. Cal Baptist (82-79); W vs. South Carolina State (74-52); W vs. Alcorn State (73-56)
Series: Series tied 5-5 | Streak: Little Rock won 2 | First: Nov. 18, 2006 (L, 66-60) | Last: Dec. 3, 2016 (W, 72-62)
Head Coach: Frank Haith (Elon, 1988). Fifth season at Tulsa (80-52); 15th season overall (285-181)
TROJANS AGAINST THE AMERICAN
Little Rock has gone head-to-head against eight current member of the American Conference, posting an overall record of 10-14 (.417) in 25 games. Tulsa has been the opponent the Trojans have faced out of the conference, splitting the 10 meetings between the two teams, including a 72-62 win in 2016. Little Rock has faced Memphis six times and is still seeking its first win over the Tigers while also notching wins over SMU (two), East Carolina, Houston and Navy.
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