Road Trip Continues at UT Arlington Saturday on ESPN+

OPENING TIP
Little Rock tries to return to its winning ways Saturday in the DFW Metroplex, facing UT Arlington at the College Park Center with a 2 p.m. tip. The game will stream live on ESPN+ with live stats available at TrojanStats.com. Ray Tucker will once again carry the radio call live on The Point 94.1 FM and online at KKPT.com.

STARTING FIVE
• Little Rock and UT Arlington meet for the 10th time in the series history Saturday with the Mavericks holding an 5-4 edge, although the Trojans won last year's meeting 77-65.
• Little Rock will play in its seventh different state/territory this week and will be seeking its first win in Texas since capturing the Lone Star Showcase in Cedar Hill in November of 2016.
• Rayjon Tucker scored in double figures for the 16th time in his 17 games this season, scoring 18 at Texas State. Tucker ranks third in the Sun Belt in scoring at 20.0 points per game and is the league's leader in time on the court, averaging over 36 minutes per game.
• Little Rock's bench has been key in the last three games for the Trojans, outscoring the opposition 101-27, led by 48 points for Deondre Burns and 26 points for Jaizec Lottie.
• The Trojans still remain one of the top shooting teams in the nation as the Trojans' 49.7% field goal percentage ranks first in the Sun Belt Conference and 14th nationally. Little Rock has shot 60% or better from the floor on three occasions this season.

BACK IN THE BELT
The 2018-19 season marks Little Rock's 28th year as a member of the Sun Belt Conference, joining the league in the 1991-92 season. During that stretch, the Trojans have posted a 238-225 (.515) record in conference play, winning the 2016 Sun Belt regular season title to complement Little Rock's five divisional championships. Little Rock and UT Arlington have been Sun Belt rivals since the Mavericks joined the league prior to the 2013-14 season with UT Arlington winning five of the eight meetings.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Little Rock heads back on the road this weekend, getting set to play a game in its seventh different state/territory in 2018-19. The Trojans will head to Texas for the first time since taking on Sam Houston State in Huntsville on Dec. 15, 2017, and will seek their first win in the Lone Star state since winning the Lone Star Showcase in Cedar Hill on November 23, 2016. The trip to San Marcos and Arlington will bring Little Rock's miles traveled on the year to just over 8,500.

KNOCKING THEM DOWN
Through the first 18 games of the season, the Trojans are shooting 49.7% from the floor, ranking first in the Sun Belt and 14th nationally. Little Rock has shot better than 50% from the floor in 10 of its first 18 contests, coming off a 61.2% performance (30-of-49) in the win over South Alabama. The Trojans have exceeded the 60% plateau three times this season, highlighted by its season-high 63.8% (30-of-47) against Central Arkansas on December 8.

IRON MAN
Redshirt junior Rayjon Tucker has been a mainstay on the court for Little Rock in 2018-19, averaging 36:17 of playing time to rank first in the Sun Belt and 30th nationally in minutes played. Tucker has played 35 or more minutes in 12 of his 17 games, playing all 40 minutes on a pair of occasions. Tucker ranks third in the Sun Belt Conference in scoring at 20.0 points per game (sitting 36th nationally) and ranks among the NCAA leaders in free throw attempts (29th - 123), free throws made (32nd - 93), total points (58th - 340) and defensive rebounds (59th - 6.12 rpg).

A NEW STREAK BEGINS
After seeing his 15-game streak of scoring in double figures come to an end Saturday against South Alabama, Rayjon Tucker looked to commence a new streak, scoring 18 points at Texas State Thursday. Tucker has scored in double figures in 16 of his 17 games as a Trojan, eclipsing the 20-point plateau on seven occasions with a career-high 36 at Louisiana on January 5. The 15-game streak was the fourth longest in program history since the start of the 2000-01 season.

SO HOT, IT BURNS
Redshirt junior Deondre Burns has been a key factor in the Trojans' last three games, finishing in double figures off the bench in each of the last three games. Burns posted 12 points in the win against Troy, followed by his 22-point performance in the dominating win over South Alabama. Burns finished with 14 points against Texas State Thursday as he is averaging 16.0 points over the last three games for the Trojans.

NOWELL SIZING UP
The smallest player on the roster, freshman Markquis Nowell has come up big in his freshman debut. Nowell finished with 13 points at Texas State Thursday, his ninth game in double figures, as he continues to rank second on the team in scoring (12.1 ppg). The Harlem, New York native is Little Rock's top free throw shooter at 82.1%, ranking fourth in the Sun Belt in assists (4.4 apg) and seventh in steals (1.5 spg).

WELCOME BACK, LOTTIE
Sophomore Jaizec Lottie returned to the lineup last week after missing time with a hand injury and made his presence felt. Lottie tied his career-high with 17 points in the win over South Alabama, going 7-for-10 from the floor with three steals. Lottie averaged 13 points over the two-game series for the Trojans and continues to rank fifth in the Sun Belt Conference in both assists (4.1 apg) and steals (1.6 spg).

KAMANI COMES UP CLUTCH
Freshman Kamani Johnson once again showed his abilities, setting a career-high for the second-straight game against South Alabama. Johnson finished with 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting, besting his previous high of 11 points he set Thursday against Troy. The Brooklyn, New York native added seven rebounds and a pair of assists and ranks second on the team in field goal percentage (58.5%).

BALANCED SCORING
Four different Trojans finished in double figures in the win over South Alabama Saturday, marking the ninth time this season four or more players have registered at least 10 points in the same game. The high water mark for Little Rock came against Howard when five scored in double figures in the 97-76 victory. Seven Trojans are averaging over eight points a game with Rayjon Tucker (20.0), Markquis Nowell (12.1), Nikola Maric (10.6) and Deondre Burns (10.0) averaging 10 or more.

THROW IT DOWN, BIG MEN
Little Rock is earning a reputation as one of the nation's top dunking teams as the Trojans have recorded 70 dunks through the first 18 games of the 2018-19 season, averaging 3.9 per game. Kris Bankston has become the poster boy for slams for Little Rock with 43 of his 61 field goals coming off dunks. Little Rock has doubled-up its opponents thus far in 2018-19, out-dunking the competition 70-36. 

FRESHMAN FOURSOME
Little Rock's freshman foursome have been called on early and often as the group of Markquis Nowell, Kamani Johnson, Horace Wyatt Jr. and Nikola Maric have started four of the Trojans' last five games. The freshmen have combined to play 1,398 of Little Rock's 3,650 minutes this season (38.3%), providing 508 of the Trojans' 1,393 points (36.5%). The group has accounted for 216 rebounds (34.6%) while combining for 50 of Little Rock's 90 starts in 2018-19 (55.6%).

LAST TIME OUT
Little Rock held a one-point lead at halftime against Texas State in San Marcos, but a 23-5 Bobcat run early in the second half pushed Texas State's lead to 18. Little Rock made a final run late in the second half, led by 18 points from Rayjon Tucker and 14 from Deondre Burns, but another run by the Bobcats propelled Texas State to the 80-62 victory.

SCOUTING THE MAVERICKS
2018-19: 7-11 overall, 3-2 Sun Belt (T-3rd), 4-4 home
Last Three Games: W vs. Arkansas State (68-59); W at Coastal Carolina (61-58); W at Appalachian State (82-72)
Series: UT Arlington leads, 5-4 (.444) | Streak: Little Rock won 1 | First: Nov. 18, 2007 (L, 68-58) | Last: Jan. 11, 2018 (W, 77-65) 
Head Coach: Chris Ogden (Texas, 2003). First season at UT Arlington (7-11)
Key Players:
• #5 Edric Dennis (R-Jr., G): 14.4 ppg., 4.5 rpg., 34.2 FG%, 77.3 FT%
• #0 Brian Warren (Jr., G): 13.5 ppg., 2.3 rpg., 35.4 FG%, 78.7 FT%
• #4 David Azore (R-Fr., G): 8.4 ppg,. 3.5 rpg., 32.0 FG%, 83.8 FT%
• #10 Radshad Davis (Jr., G): 7.8 ppg., 5.7 rpg., 45.9 FG%, 75.0 FT%
• #20 Andres Ibarguen (Jr., F): 7.0 ppg., 7.0 rpg., 56.9 FG%

LAST TIME vs. THE MAVERICKS
Little Rock raced out to an early lead and never looked back, handing preseason Sun Belt Conference favorite UT Arlington a 77-65 loss at the Jack Stephens Center on January 11, 2018. The Trojans led by double digits for a large portion of the first half, then saw that lead dwindle to a 39-39 tie early in the second. But Little Rock responded with a pair of extended runs, leading by as many as 16 before cruising to the 12-point victory.

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