LITTLE ROCK - After four-straight nailbiting victories, Little Rock looks to remain unbeaten and atop the Sun Belt Conference standings when the Trojans host Georgia Southern Monday evening at the Jack Stephens Center. The lone meeting this season between the two teams, opening tip between the Trojans and Eagles is set for 6:30 p.m. on ESPN+ with Ben Creighton and Steve Shields on the call.
"This team has really grown up the last few weeks and I've been proud of how they've kept their composure in tight ball games," said head coach Darrell Walker. "This season is far from over, and we have another really good team coming into the Jack Stephens Center Monday night. Georgia Southern is very talented and can shoot the ball extremely well, so it will be another battle for our team."
GAME STORYLINES
• Little Rock and Georgia Southern meet for the 35th time Monday with the Eagles holding a 19-15 lead in the all-time series. The Trojans are 10-7 all-time against Georgia Southern in Little Rock but the Eagles have won three-straight in the series.Â
• Little Rock enters Monday's game in sole possession of first place in the Sun Belt standings at 4-0, marking the first time the Trojans have sat atop the league standings since going 17-3 in the 2015-16 championship season.
• The Trojans have won five-straight games, its longest winning streak since winning six-straight during the non-conference portion of the 2016-17 season.
• Little Rock's four Sun Belt victories have come by a combined 11 points, beating ULM by one (73-72), Louisiana by three (69-66), Texas State by four (72-68) and UT Arlington by three (92-89).
• Ruot Monyyong leads the Sun Belt Conference in double-doubles this year with seven, accomplishing the feat in four of the last five games. He is also the league's leading rebounder at 9.5 boards per game and 7.2 defensive rebounds per game.
• Markquis Nowell continues to lead the Sun Belt Conference in scoring at 19.6 points per game, coming off a 29-point performance against UT Arlington. He has scored 20 or more points in nine of Little Rock's 15 games this season.
• Kamani Johnson posted a career-high 30 points with 12 rebounds against UT Arlington, hitting 14 of 16 free throw attempts in the process. He has increased his free throw percentage by nearly 30 points, shooting 79.5% this year opposed to 50.8% as a freshman.
NEWS AND NOTES
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
2019-20: 9-6 overall, 3-1 Sun Belt Conference
Last Three Games: L at Appalachian State (74-72); W at Coastal Carolina (70-67), L at Georgia (73-64)
Head Coach: Mark Byington (UNC Wilmington, 1998). 7th season at Georgia Southern (120-90); 8th season overall (127-94)
Key Players:
• #3 Ike Smith (Sr., G): 15.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 33.7 3FG%
• #2 Elijah McCadden (So., G): 12.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 71.4 FT%
• #53 Isaiah Crawley (Sr., F): 11.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 52.1 FG%
• #13 Quan Jackson (Jr., G): 11.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.5 spg
• #10 Calvin Wishart (So., G): 9.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 37.7 3FG%
LAST WE MET
Little Rock hung around with Georgia Southern for the opening 30 minutes in Statesboro on Feb. 28, 2019, but the Eagles high octane offense wore down the Trojans down the stretch, handing Little Rock the 81-66 defeat. Rayjon Tucker led the Trojans with 21 points while Nikola Maric added 18.
ATOP THE SUN BELT, PART ONE
A handful of Trojans rank among the Sun Belt leaders in a number of statistical categories heading into the 2020 calendar year.
CAREER NIGHT FOR KAMANI
Kamani Johnson posted his best performance in a Trojan uniform in the win over UT Arlington Saturday, setting a career-high with 30 points and tying his career best with 12 rebounds. Johnson became the second Trojan to reach the 30-point mark this season as he went 8-of-12 from the floor and 14-of-16 from the free throw line. The 14 free throws made is the most for a Trojan since Rayjon Tucker did so against Coastal Carolina on Jan. 24, 2019. Johnson also set his career-high in assists (5), field goals made (8) and minutes played (39).
DOING IT ALL
Markquis Nowell continues to be the spark plug for the Trojans in 2019-20, finishing with 29 points in the win over UT Arlington. It was the ninth game this season he has eclipsed 20 points, going 10-of-19 from the floor and making seven threes. Nowell leads the Sun Belt in scoring (19.6), free throw percentage (87.5%) and steals (2.5), ranking third in both assists (4.4) and minutes played (36.5), playing 40 minutes for the eighth time.
I AM RUOT
Ruot Monyyong had another productive outing in the win over UT Arlington, finishing with 11 points and 11 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season, the most in the Sun Belt Conference. Monyyong is the conference's leading rebounder at 9.5 per game, ranking first in the Sun Belt in defensive boards (7.2) and second in blocks (1.9) while shooting 52.1% from the floor with a team-high 26 dunks on the year.
CARDIAC TROJANS STRIKE AGAIN
Little Rock's win over UT Arlington was another nail-biter as it was the fourth-straight game decided by four points or less. The Trojans have won their four Sun Belt Conference games by a combined total of 11 points, improving to 5-2 on the year in games decided by five points or less.
SEASON'S BEST
A number of Little Rock season-highs were set in the victory over UT Arlington Saturday afternoon.
 • 92 points scored (previous - 86 vs. Tennessee State)
 • 46 first half points (previous - 42 vs. Tennessee State)
 • 30 field goals made (previous - 29 vs. Tennessee State)
 • 55.6% field goal (previous - 53.7% vs. Tennessee State)
 • 38:15 time led (previous - 36:34 vs. Tennessee State)
WE'RE GOING STREAKING
Little Rock won its fifth-straight game Saturday, marking the Trojans' longest winning streak since a six-game span during the non-conference portion of the 2016-17 season. Little Rock's four game Sun Belt winning streak is the longest for the program since a six-game run during the 2015-16 championship season.
ATOP THE SUN BELT, PART TWO
When Little Rock takes to the court against Georgia Southern Monday evening, they will do so in sole possession of first place in the Sun Belt Conference at 4-0 in league play. The last time Little Rock sat atop the league standings was at the conclusion of the 2015-16 season when the Trojans capped their 17-3 Sun Belt season, en route to the league title and NCAA berth.
EYEING 600
Thanks to his 29-point performance Saturday evening, Markquis Nowell upped his career point total to 572, sitting just 28 points shy of reaching 600 for his Trojan career. He is the active leader in career points scored, nearly 100 points ahead of Jaizec Lottie in second (474) as Lottie is just 26 points shy of reaching 500.
SECOND HALF SURGE
Little Rock has played its best basketball in the second half of games this season, outscoring the opposition 585-492 for a +93 point differential. The first half has been a challenge for the Trojans who have a -49 point differential, being outscored 512-463 in the opening 20 minutes of games.
HOME SWEET HOME
The 2019-20 season marks Little Rock's 15th at the Jack Stephens Center since the facility opened in 2005, as the Trojans have posted an overall record of 137-79 (.634) at the Jack. Little Rock is 6-1 at home this year, its best start at the Jack since the perfect 15-0 mark during the 2015-16 season.
BACK IN THE BELT
2019-20 marks Little Rock's 29th season as a member of the Sun Belt Conference as the Trojans have posted an all-time record of 245-235 (.510) in league play since joining in the 1991-92 season. Little Rock is tied for the second-longest tenured member of the league, joining with Arkansas State and Louisiana in 1991.
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