LITTLE ROCK - Little Rock continues its challenging road trip, heading east to Oxford, Ohio, to face Miami (Ohio) on Saturday, November 26, tipping at 12 p.m. CT from Millett Hall and streaming live on ESPN3. Trojan Hall of Famer Ray Tucker will handle the radio broadcast on 103.7 FM The Buzz, getting underway at 11:45 a.m. CT.
GAME STORYLINES
• The game against the Redhawks concludes the three-game stretch that comprises the Indiana Hoosier Classic, a four-team MTE that includes Little Rock, host Indiana, Jackson State and Miami. The Trojans are 1-1 in the three-game stretch.
• Little Rock and Miami meet for the first time as Little Rock is seeking its first win in the state of Ohio, sitting at 0-5 all-time in program history.
• The Trojans are 6-8 all-time against current members of the Mid-American Conference and will face a MAC school for the second-straight year, defeating Northern Illinois 67-60 last season as part of the Jacksonville Classic.
•
D.J. Smith is coming off a 20-point performance at 11th-ranked Indiana Wednesday night. It is his second 20+ point game this season and the most scored against the Hoosiers this year
•
Myron Gardner flirted with a triple-double at Indiana, finishing with 14 points, nine rebounds and six assists. He currently ranks among the top-50 nationally in five statistical categories.
• Eight Trojans have scored in double figures this season, led by
DeAntoni Gordon's six games. He is the lone Trojan to finish in double figures in every game this season as he is tied for the team lead in points per game, averaging 13.0.
• Miami is the first of seven opponents Little Rock will be facing for the first time this season.
• The Trojans continue a long road swing, playing six of seven away from the Jack Stephens Center, spanning five different states and over 7,000 miles traveled.
NEWS AND NOTES
SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS
2022-23: 1-4 overall, 0-0 Mid-American Conference
Last Three Games: L vs. Indiana (86-56), L vs. Marshall (95-69), L at Georgia (77-70)
Head Coach: Travis Steele (Butler, 2004). First season at Miami (1-4); Fifth season overall (71-54)
Key Players:
• #2 Mekhi Lairy (5th, G): 15.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 36.8 FG%
• #45 Anderson Mirambeaux (Sr., F): 14.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 42.4 FG%
• #3 Julian Lewis (So., G): 12.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 35.7 3FG%
• #11 Billy Smith (Fr., G): 9.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 39.0 FG%
• #13 Ryan Mabrey (Fr., G): 6.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 31.1 FG%
FOR THE FIRST TIME
Little Rock and Miami meet for the first time in program history Saturday afternoon in Oxford. It will be the Trojans' sixth game in the state of Ohio in program history as Little Rock is 0-5 all-time in the Buckeye State, including the 81-77 overtime loss to UNC Asheville in the 2011 NCAA First Four in Dayton.
LAST TIME OUT
Little Rock battled 11th-ranked Indiana for 31 minutes at Skjodt Assembly Hall, trailing by seven with just over nine minutes to play. But the Hoosiers pulled away over the final stretch of the second half to hand Little Rock the 87-68 loss in Bloomington. Three Trojans finished in double figures, led by 20 points for
D.J. Smith and 14 points and nine rebounds for
Myron Gardner, but the Hoosiers dominated inside, scoring 52 points in the paint with 11 total blocks on the night.
CLOSING IN ON 100
Head coach
Darrell Walker is in year number five in Little Rock with an overall record of 53-68 at the helm of the Trojans. He registered his 99th win as a collegiate head coach against Jackson State Sunday, sitting at 99-86 overall. Walker boasts a pair of impressive accomplishments as he is the only coach in the nation that has served as a head coach at the NBA, WNBA, Division II and Division I ranks and is one of just five active head coaches that won an NBA title as a player.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Little Rock earned a pair of program-firsts, notching a pair of OVC weekly honors Monday.
Myron Gardner was tabbed the OVC Player of the Week, finishing the three-game stretch with 14.7 points and 10.3 rebounds while shooting 53.8% from three point range, while
Chris Walker was named the Freshman of the Week, averaging 10.3 points with 3.3 assists and shooting 41.7% from three point range during the week.
COMING UP BIG
D.J. Smith came up big for Little Rock at Indiana Wednesday, leading the Trojans with 20 points, going 4-for-10 from three point range and 6-of-8 from the free throw line. 11 of his points came in the second half as his 20 points is the most scored against the 11th-ranked Hoosiers this season. It is the third 20-point game of his career as he ranks third on the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game.
MYRON AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS
Senior
Myron Gardner just missed another double-double Wednesday at Indiana, and flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 14 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Gardner enters the weekend ranking among the top-50 nationally in five statistical categories, including 19th in rebounds (59), 29th in both double-doubles (2) and rebounds per game (9.8) and 32nd in defensive rebounds per game (7.2).
HONORS FOR WALKER
Chris Walker was tabbed the OVC's Freshman of the Week after averaging 10.3 points and 3.3 assists over the course of the past week. Walker had a strong showing at Indiana Wednesday, just missing his first career double-double with nine points and eight rebounds as he leads the team in three pointers made (13) and is second in three point percentage (39.4%).
CONSISTENCY INSIDE
Forward
DeAntoni Gordon continues to be a steady force for Little Rock, tied for the team lead at 13.0 points per game while shooting 54.1% from the floor. Gordon tied his career high with 17 points in the win over Jackson State and finished with 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting at Indiana. He is the lone Trojan to finish in double figures in all six games this year, doing so 10 times in his 14 games as a Trojan.
TROJANS AGAINST THE MAC
Little Rock has gone head-to-head against six current members of the Mid-American Conference, posting an overall record of 6-8. This is the second-straight year the Trojans will face a MAC member, defeating Northern Illinois 67-60 on November 22, 2021 as part of the Jacksonville Classic. Little Rock has won two-straight against the league, including a 91-79 win against Central Michigan on November 23, 2016 in Cedar Park, Texas.
TOUGH ROAD STRETCH
Little Rock heads back on the road as part of a challenging span of playing six of seven away from the Jack Stephens Center. That trip include three NCAA tournament teams (Indiana, San Francisco and Memphis), with games in five different states (Arkansas, Tennessee, Indiana, Ohio and California). Adding the trip to Illinois to start the season, Little Rock will travel approximately 7,500 miles in the first month of the season.
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