LITTLE ROCK - Little Rock plays host to UT Arlington for the final time as Sun Belt foes Saturday afternoon as the Trojans and Mavericks tip at 2 p.m. at the Jack Stephens Center. The game will stream live on ESPN+ with Tyler Cass and Patrick Newton handling the announcing duties while Trojan Hall of Famer Ray Tucker will have the radio call on 106.7 FM The Buz2, getting underway at 1:45 p.m.
GAME STORYLINES
• Little Rock played just its second game in the calendar year of 2022 Thursday against Texas State after having to cancel its previous three games at Louisiana and against rival Arkansas State due to a combination of COVID positives and injuries. The Trojans also missed their game against Georgia State on January 1 due to COVID issues with the Panthers.
• Little Rock is in its 31st, and final, season as a member of the Sun Belt Conference, posting an all-time record of 264-253 as a member of the league. The Trojans are tied with Arkansas State and Louisiana as the second-longest tenured members of the conference.
• Little Rock and UT Arlington have met 17 times previously with the Trojans holding a 9-8 edge in the all-time series. Little Rock won three of the four meetings in 2020-21 as head coach Darrell Walker is 5-3 all-time against UT Arlington.
• The Trojans are 6-3 all-time against UT Arlington in Little Rock, winning the last six against the Mavericks at the Jack Stephens Center.
• Myron Gardner became the 11th different Trojan to score in double figures in a game this season, registering a career-high 13 points against Texas State Thursday night.
• Little Rock again played shorthanded against Texas State Thursday as just nine Trojans dressed against the Bobcats. 11 different Trojans have combined to miss 79 games this season due to injury, forcing Little Rock to utilize 10 different starting lineup combinations.
• Little Rock trailed by as many as 22 points against Texas State Thursday, marking the 12th time this season out of 15 games the Trojans have faced a double-digit deficit. The Trojans have rallied to win three of those games.
NEWS AND NOTES
SCOUTING THE MAVERICKS
2021-22: 8-10 overall, 4-3 Sun Belt Conference
Last Three Games: L at Arkansas State (75-70); L vs. ULM (62-55, OT); W vs. Louisiana (83-73)
Head Coach: Greg Young (Howard Payne, 1986). First season at UTA (8-10); 11th season overall (176-149)
Key Players:
• #4 David Azore (Gr., G): 17.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 40.1 FG%
• #23 Patrick Mwamba (R-So., F): 10.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 37.1 FG%
• #20 Nicolas Elame (So., G): 8.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 42.6 FG5
• #22 Shemar Wilson (Fr., F): 6.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 66.2 FG%
• #1 Javon Levi (Gr., G): 6.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 39.1 FG%
SERIES HISTORY
Little Rock and UT Arlington meet for the 18th time Saturday with the Trojans holding 9-8 edge in the all-time series. Little Rock won three of the four meetings between the two teams in 2020-21, taking both games at the Jack Stephens Center before earning a split in Arlington. The Trojans have won five of the last seven meetings and are 6-3 against the Mavericks in Little Rock.
LAST TIME OUT
Little Rock put together a strong second half, outscoring Texas State 35-26 over the final 20 minutes, but a 13-0 run by the Bobcats in the first half put the Trojans in a hole it could never get out of in a 69-59 loss Thursday at the Jack Stephens Center.
Myron Gardner and
CJ White each scored 13 to pace Little Rock, but the Bobcats dominated on the boards, outrebounding the Trojans 42-20 to pace themselves to the victory.
GARDNER COMING ON
Junior
Myron Gardner is starting to find his groove after missing the first 12 games of the season due to injury. In the three games he has played, Gardner is averaging 8.7 points and 4.3 rebounds, shooting 34.6% from the floor and 44.4% from beyond the arc. Gardner set a new career high with 13 points against Texas State Thursday, becoming the 11th different Trojan to score in double figures in a game this season.
CONSISTENT PALERMO
Junior
Isaiah Palermo had nine points against Texas State Thursday and continues to provide consistency on the Trojan roster. Palermo ranks second on the Trojans in scoring (12.6 ppg), rebounding (4.6 rpg), field goal percentage (53.4%) and free throw percentage (80.0%), leading the team in minutes per game (28.0) and steals (1.3 spg) while ranking fourth in three point percentage (38.9%).
HOMETOWN CONNECTION
Two hometown players had a big night against Texas State as
CJ White (13) and
D.J. Smith (10) combined for 23 points against the Bobcats Thursday night, dishing out a combined seven assists as well. The duo is averaging 12.8 points per game and rank one-two on the team in assists, dishing out a combined 5.9 helpers per game.
DOUBLE FIGURE TROJANS
11 different Trojans have combined for 46 double figure performances in 2021-22.
Myron Gardner became the 11th different Trojan to reach double figures, finishing with a career-high 13 points against Texas State, as
Nikola Maric,
Marko Lukic and
Isaiah Palermo have each reached double figures eight times.
PLAYING FROM BEHIND
Little Rock has had to play from behind for the majority of the season, facing a double-digit deficit in 12 of its 15 games this season. 10 of those games have seen the Trojans trailing by 10 or more in the second half as Little Rock has rallied to win three of those games this season.
SHORTHANDED TROJANS
Injuries have played a major factor for the Trojans as 11 different players have combined for 79 missed games this season.
Chris Walker,
DeAntoni Gordon,
Marko Lukic,
Marko Andric,
Ethan Speaker and
Nikola Maric did not suit up against Texas State as Little Rock has used 10 different starting lineup combinations with 12 different Trojans earning starts due to those injuries.
HOME SWEET HOME
Little Rock is in its 17th season at the Jack Stephens Center as the Trojans have posted a 156-87 (.642) all-time record in their on-campus home, including a 5-3 home record in 2021-22. Little Rock has posted an 87-60 (.592) record against Sun Belt opponents at the Jack Stephens Center, sitting at 1-1 on its home court against league opposition this season.
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 34-20 (.630) when scoring 70 or more points and just 14-35 (.286) when it scores 69 points or less.
LAST TRIP AROUND THE SUN
Little Rock continues its 31st, and final, season in the Sun Belt this weekend against the Texas schools. The Trojans joined the league in the 1991-92 season and are tied with Arkansas State and Louisiana as the second-longest tenured members of the conference. Little Rock has compiled a 264-253 (.511) all-time record as members of the Sun Belt, including a 9-7 mark against the Mavericks, which joined the league in 2014. The Trojans recently announced they will join the Ohio Valley Conference, effective July 1, 2022.
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