LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Little Rock heads down to the bayou for a clash between two teams tied for second in the Sun Belt Conference as the Trojans face Louisiana Saturday afternoon at the Cajundome in Lafayette.
The game will mark the halfway point in the conference schedule for a pair of teams that stand even in the Sun Belt standings at 6-2 along with Coastal Carolina and UTA.
The game, set to tip-off at 2 p.m., will be broadcast on ESPN+ while Trey Schaap will have the call on the Little Rock Trojans Radio Network (Flagship: 920AM The Sports Animal).
Series History
- This will be the 36th meeting between the two teams in a series that dates back to the resurrection of Little Rock Women's Basketball in the 1999-2000 season.
- The Trojans claimed the last meeting between the two teams, a 62-49 win in Lafayette last March. Little Rock has won four straight in the series and five straight in games played down in Lafayette.
- While Little Rock has a 25-10 advantage in the all-time series, fortunes have not always been in the Trojans' favor in Lafayette. Little Rock has a slight 10-8 advantage in games played in Lafayette but the Trojans have claimed 10 of the last 11 match-ups in Lafayette with the one loss coming in 2012.
- The last time Little Rock lost in Lafayette back in 2012 was a 56-54 final in double overtime.
Five Things to Know
- Damaging Duo
When Little Rock is successful this season, it is because of the damage that the duo of Kyra Collier and Teal Battle can inflect on teams. When those two players combine to score 30 points or more this season, the Trojans have a 6-3 mark.
- I'd Like to Report a Theft
Little Rock's Kyra Collier has developed sticky fingers lately. The Trojan senior has registered four steals in five of her last seven games, pushing her to 39 steals on the season and 24 steals in conference games. In conference play, her 3.00 steals per game leads the Sun Belt and has to leave Sun Belt opponents concerned anytime she comes near the ball. Overall, she is averaging 2.05 steals per game, ranking second in the league.
- Sharing is Caring
With a diversely athletic roster, Little Rock challenges opponents with a multifaceted attack. The Trojans are the only team in the Sun Belt with three players ranked in the top 15 of the league in assists per game. That list is led by Sydney Chastain's 3.63 apg (ranking sixth in the SBC), followed by Tori Lasker's 3.32 apg (7th) and rounded out by Kyra Collier's 3.05 apg (8th). UT Arlington (4.15, Katie Ferrell; 3.80, Terryn Milton) is the only other SBC team with multiple players in the top 10 in assists per game. But a closer look at the numbers in conference play shows that all three are continually dishing the ball to teammates as we hit the midpoint of the conference schedule. In Sun Belt games only, Lasker ranks fourth with 4.75 apg, Collier ranks eighth with 3.63 apg and Chastain ranks ninth with 3.50 apg.
- Three Points Might be a Long Shot
Heading into this game, Little Rock has done an admirable job at defending the 3-point shot with Trojan opponents scoring just 18.8 percent of their points from long range. Limiting that number has Little Rock ranked seventh in the nation. And that defense is even warding off teams from challenging from long range. Little Rock opponents have a Three-Point Rate (Percentage of all scoring attempts (shots and free throw trips) that are three-point attempts) of 22.3 percent, a mark that ranks 22nd in the nation.
- Louisiana is Successful Though
The Ragin' Cajuns, however, will challenge Little Rock when it comes to outside shooting. Louisiana enters the weekend ranked 67th in the country with a .339 percentage from 3-point range. That doesn't necessarily mean the Cajuns make it rain from afar. Louisiana scores just 21.1 percent of its points from beyond the arc, a mark that ranks 298th nationally and in the bottom third of the country.
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