LITTLE ROCK - Little Rock continues its challenging six-game road trip, making the cross country flight to Jacksonville, Florida for the Jacksonville Classic by Fabletics. The Trojans face Sam Houston in the second game of the Jax Bracket, tipping at 1:30 p.m. CT Sunday, November 21 from UNF Arena on the campus of Northern Florida. Little Rock will then face either Boston University or Northern Illinois on Monday, November 21, getting underway at either 10 a.m. CT or 12:30 p.m. CT, depending on Sunday's results.
GAME STORYLINES
• Little Rock and Sam Houston have met seven times previously with the Trojans holding a 4-3 edge in the all-time series. The two teams last met in 2018 with Little Rock earning a 79-52 win at the Jack Stephens Center in Darrell Walker's first season.
• Little Rock's continued six-game road trip takes the Trojans to five different states (California, Florida, Oklahoma, Colorado and Arkansas), playing in all four time zones and traveling over 7,500 miles during that span.
• The Trojans enter Wednesday's game with a 39-14 all-time record against current members of the Western Athletic Conference. This is Sam Houston's first, and only, season as a member of the WAC as the Bearkats will join Conference USA in 2022-23 after leaving the Southland for the WAC prior to this season.
• As a team, Little Rock enters the weekend ranked eighth nationally in both turnovers forced (22.3) and turnover margin (9.5), while ranking ninth in both total assists (76) and total steals (48). Little Rock's defense has been pesky in the early part of the season, ranking 12th in steals per game (12.0).
• Isaiah Palermo is currently ranked sixth nationally in field goal percentage at 79.2% following his 5-for-6 effort at Loyola Marymount, hitting 19-of-24 through his first three games.
• Nikola Maric enters the weekend 14th nationally in free throw attempts (27) and 16th in free throws made (20).
NEWS AND NOTES
SCOUTING THE BEARKATS
2021-22: 1-2 overall, 0-0 West Coast Conference
Last Three Games: L vs. Missouri State (77-55), L at Nebraska (74-65), W vs. LeTourneau (97-54)
Head Coach: Jason Hooten (Tarleton State, 1993). 12th season at Sam Houston (217-149 overall)
Key Players:
• #1 Savion Flagg (Gr., G): 21.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 42.9 FG%
• #3 Demarkus Lampley (Sr., G): 11.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 35.1 FG%
• #2 Jarren Cook (Fr., G): 7.7 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 36.4 FG%
• #12 Tristan Ipke (Jr., F): 5.7 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 53.8 FG%
• #11 Javion May (Jr., G): 5.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 43.8 FG%
LAST WE MET
Little Rock and Sam Houston last met at the Jack Stephens Center on December 1, 2018, with the Trojans winning 79-52 in Darrell Walker's first season as head coach. Rayjon Tucker was the leading scorer for Little Rock, scoring 33 points, as the Trojans raced out to a 13-point halftime lead and never looked back.
LAST TIME OUT
Loyola Marymount opened both halves with a 7-0 run and put Little Rock in a hole it was never able to climb out of, handing the Trojans their first loss of the year in a 82-63 defeat at Gersten Pavilion in Los Angeles. Isaiah Palermo led the Trojans with 16 points on 5-of-6 shooting and Nikola Maric added 15 points but were the lone Trojans to reach double figures.
JACKSONVILLE CLASSIC
Little Rock is one of eight teams in Jacksonville this weekend competing in the Jacksonville Classic by Fabletics. The Trojans are in the Jax Bracket, joined by Sam Houston, Boston University and Northern Illinois, with Florida State, Loyola Marymount, Missouri and SMU in the Duval Bracket. All games will be played at UNF Arena on the campus of the University of North Florida.
JACKSONVILLE CLASSIC by FABLETICS JAX BRACKET
Game One: Boston University vs. Northern Illinois - Sunday - 11 a.m.
Game Two: Little Rock vs. Sam Houston - Sunday - 1:30 p.m.
Game Three: Loser Game One vs. Loser Game Two - Monday - 10 a.m.
Game Four: Winner Game One vs. Winner Game Two - Monday - 1:30 p.m.
WELCOME HOME
The trip to Jacksonville will mark a homecoming of sorts for four players on the Trojan roster. Freshman Chris Walker (Wellington), senior Alsean Evans (Lakeland) and junior Isaiah Palermo (Kissimmee) all hail from the Sunshine State with junior Jovan Stulic playing his high school ball in Naples.
PALERMO ON FIRE
Junior Isaiah Palermo has had a strong start to the season for the Trojans, leading the team by averaging 17.7 points per game. He scored a career-high 30 in the win over Champion Christian, then led Little Rock with 16 at Loyola Marymount Wednesday. Palermo has made 19 of his 24 shots on the year (79.2%), ranking sixth nationally in field goal percentage, while making all four of his three point attempts and 11-of-14 from the free throw line (78.6%).
CHASING 1,000
Senior Nikola Maric continues to inch closer to an impressive career milestone, sitting at 869 career points in a Little Rock uniform. Maric is 131 points shy of becoming the 21st member of the Little Rock 1,000-point club and would become the first Trojan to reach that plateau since Will Neighbour in 2014.
LIVING AT THE LINE
Senior Nikola Maric has become a regular at the free throw line in the early going for Little Rock. Maric ranks 14th nationally in free throws attempted (27) and 16th in free throws made (20), leading the Sun Belt in both categories. Maric ranks third on the team in scoring (11.5 ppg) and is tops in rebounding (5.0 rpg) through the first four games of the season.
SHARING THE WEALTH
Little Rock heads to Jacksonville with four players averaging in double figures on the season. Isaiah Palermo leads the team at 17.7 points per game, followed by Kevin Osawe (11.7), Nikola Maric (11.5) and Jovan Stulic (11.0). DeAntoni Gordon just missed cracking the list, averaging 9.5 points per game.
BIG OFF THE BENCH
Little Rock's bench has been a key factor in the Trojans' early season success, scoring 164 of the Trojans' 338 points this season (48.5%), averaging 41.0 points per game through the first four games. Isaiah Palermo (17.7) and Kevin Osawe (11.7) have been the top two bench contributors with Marko Lukic averaging 6.8 points and CJ White adding 6.5 points per game off the bench.
STRONG IN THE SECOND
Little Rock has outscored its opponents 163-113 in the second half this season, a differential of +50. Trojan opponents are averaging just 28.3 points over the final 20 minutes, compared to 40.8 points for Little Rock.
STRIVING FOR 70
70 points a game has been the goal for head coach Darrell Walker since arriving at Little Rock and the Trojans have found success when reaching the mark. Under Walker, Little Rock is 33-18 (.647) when scoring 70 or more points and just 12-29 (.293) when it scores 69 points or less.
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