LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Little Rock will take a step out of conference play Tuesday night to host Philander Smith at the Jack Stephens Center.
Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. with Hayden Balgavy (play-by-play) and Patrick Newton (analyst) headlining the ESPN+ broadcast while Hall of Famer Ray Tucker will call the action on 920 AM The Sports Animal.
Series History
Philander Smith: LR leads, 8-0 [
Series History] | Last game: LR won, 81-37, on 1/31/1986 in Little Rock, Ark. | Streak: Won 8
Five Things to Know
- Battle for the Rock
Little Rock will face an intracity opponent Tuesday when Philander Smith will make its first-ever visit to the Jack Stephens Center. Meeting for the first time in 1986, Little Rock added the game to reach the NCAA mandated 25-game minimum for postseason eligibility. Little Rock has had seven games canceled this season, including four Sun Belt games as the league is the only Division I conference not rescheduling conference contests canceled due to COVID-19 protocols.
- Controlling the Play
Little Rock opponents are finding it hard to move the ball against the Trojans (this really is no surprise to us here in The Rock). Trojan opponents are averaging just 9.8 assists per game, a mark that ranks 16th in the nation for Little Rock's defense. This is notable considering Arkansas State ranks 123rd nationally in assists per game (13.7) and has one of the nation's worst assisted shot rate (50.4%), ranking 276th.
- Block Party
Dariel Johnson threw herself a block party in Little Rock's game on Feb. 5 at ULM. Johnson recorded a career-high five blocks in that game, the most any Trojan player has recorded since Taylor Gault blocked six shots against Troy on Nov. 29, 2012. That also ranks tied for third for the most blocked shots a Sun Belt player has recorded in a single game this season.
- Home, Sweet, Home
Little Rock is fond of the Jack Stephens Center and it isn't a place at which teams prefer to play. That's because the Trojans are 5-3 so far this season. That's a remarkable stretch considering talented teams like Auburn, Coastal Carolina and Memphis have all left The Jack disappointed.
- Maybe Don't Shoot When Guarded by DJ?
Just some food for thought for Little Rock opponents. That's because the Trojan senior ranks 119th in the nation and fourth in the Sun Belt in blocked shots per game (1.33) while ranking 139th nationally and fifth in the Sun Belt in total blocked shots (24).
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