LITTLE ROCK - Little Rock heads back on the road, traveling to Jacksonville, Alabama, to make the return trip for the home-and-home series against Jacksonville State on Saturday, December 17. Opening tip will be at 1 p.m. at Pete Mathews Coliseum and will stream on ESPN+ with Mickey Shadrix and Butch Barker on the call. Trojan Hall of Famer Ray Tucker will have the radio broadcast on 106.7 FM The Buz2, starting at 12:45 p.m.
GAME STORYLINES
• Little Rock and Jacksonville State meet for the third time with the teams splitting the previous two meetings. The Trojans won a neutral site game in the British Virgin Islands in 2013 with the Gamecocks winning at the Jack Stephens Center last year.
• It is the first of back-to-back games against members of the Atlantic Sun Conference as the Trojans will host new A-SUN member Central Arkansas Tuesday at the Jack Stephens Center.
• Head coach
Darrell Walker registered the 100th victory of his collegiate coaching career in the 83-54 win over Philander Smith Monday.
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Myron Gardner notched his OVC-best fifth double-double against Philander Smith Monday, giving him seven for his career. He ranks among the top-32 nationally in four different categories, including 12th in the NCAA in double-doubles.
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Chris Walker was named the Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Week for the second time this season following his 18-point performance at Memphis on December 6, adding four assists and shooting 50.0% from the floor in 23 minutes.
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DeAntoni Gordon registered his first career double-double in the win over Philander Smith Monday, finishing with 11 points and a career-high 11 rebounds with three steals and a pair of assists.
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Jordan Jefferson set a season-high with 17 points against Philander Smith Monday in his first start of the season, leading all scorers. Jefferson was 6-of-9 from the floor and reached double figures for the third time and leading the team in scoring for the second time this season.
• Little Rock will be competing in its seventh different state this season with the trip to Alabama as the Trojans seeking their first road win of the year while looking to snap a nine game road winless streak.
NEWS AND NOTES
SCOUTING THE GAMECOCKS
2022-23: 5-5 overall, 0-0 Atlantic Sun Conference
Last Three Games: W vs. Reinhardt (97-63), L at Utah (99-58), W at East Tennessee State (63-61)
Head Coach: Ray Harper (Kentucky Wesleyan, 1985). Seventh season at JSU (124-81); 24th season overall (555-208)
Key Players:
• #5 Skyelar Potter (Sr., G): 15.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 47.7 3FG%
• #1 Demaree King (Sr., G): 14.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 47.8 3FG%
• #24 Amanze Ngumezi (Jr., F): 10.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 37.7 FG%
• #25 Clarence Jackson (Jr., F): 8.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 41.1 FG%
• #13 Peyton Daniels (So., G): 8.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 45.5 3FG%
LAST WE MET
Little Rock held a 43-42 lead at halftime, but Jacksonville State took over in the second half, outscoring the Trojans 45-24 to cruise to an 87-67 win at the Jack Stephens Center on December 21, 2021. The Gamecocks shot 68.2% from the floor over the final 20 minutes, hitting 8-of-11 threes (72.7%), while the Trojans shot just 32.1% and 2-of-10 (20.0%) beyond the arc in the second half to allow Jacksonville State to pull away for the victory.
LAST TIME OUT
Led by five players in double figures, including double-doubles for
Myron Gardner and
DeAntoni Gordon, Little Rock raced out to an early lead and was never threatened in an 83-54 win over Philander Smith Monday at the Jack Stephens Center. Little Rock led by 21 at the half and by as many as 36, tied for its largest lead in a game since Arkansas Baptist in 2021, as the Trojans shot 53.8% from the floor, their second-best performance of the year.
WIN NUMBER 100 FOR WALKER
Head coach
Darrell Walker is in year number five in Little Rock with an overall record of 54-72 at the helm of the Trojans. He registered his 100th win as a collegiate head coach against Philander Smith Monday, including the 46 victories at Clark Atlanta. 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.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE MAN
Myron Gardner registered his fifth double-double of the season, and third-straight, scoring 10 points with 11 rebounds in the win over Philander Smith Monday. The five double-doubles is the most in the Ohio Valley Conference this season and ranks tied for 12th nationally. Gardner has been Little Rock's most consistent player through the first month of the season, leading the team in rebounds (9.8 rpg), assists (3.6 apg) and steals (1.9 spg) and is second in scoring (12.6 ppg).
COMING UP BIG
D.J. Smith had another strong showing against Philander Smith, scoring 16 points for his sixth double digit performance of the year. Smith leads the Trojans in scoring at 13.2 points per game and is Little Rock's top free throw shooter at 80.6% while sitting second in assists (2.9 apg) and steals (1.2), averaging a team-high 31.1 minutes per game.
OVC HONORS TIMES TWO
Chris Walker registered his second Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Week honor Monday after his 18-point performance at Memphis on December 6. Walker led all scorers and set a new career-best, shooting 50.0% from the floor (6-of-12) and from the three-point arc (4-of-8), dishing out four assists and grabbing two rebounds in 23 minutes of work.
DOUBLE FIGURE TROJANS
Five different Trojans scored in double figures in the win over Philander Smith Monday, tied for the most in a single game this season. In all, eight different Trojans have reached double figures in a game this season, led by eight for
Myron Gardner and seven from
DeAntoni Gordon to pace Little Rock.
STRUGGLES ON THE ROAD
Little Rock has is still searching for its first road victory of the year, sitting at 0-7 in 2022-23. The Trojans have dropped nine-straight true road games, dating back to the 66-62 win at Troy on February 12, 2022, which was also Little Rock's last win in the state of Alabama.
BACK ON THE BUS
Little Rock has gotten its fair share of miles in early this season as Saturday's game at Jacksonville State marks the eighth road game out of the first 11 games of the year and the seventh different state the Trojans will have played in, traveling approximately 8,400 miles so far this season.
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