LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – An offensive-minded Tennessee State team – the only Ohio Valley Conference team that has scored more than 50 points on Little Rock this year – visits the Jack Stephens Center for the first time Saturday to face Little Rock in a 1 p.m. tip-off.
The game will air live on ESPN+ with Kyle Deckelbaum (play-by-play) and Dorian Craft (analyst) calling the action while Trey Schaap can be heard over the airwaves on the Little Rock Sports Network (920 AM The Sports Animal).
Series History
- This will be just the third time these two teams will meet on the hardwood and the first time doing so twice in the same season.
- Little Rock leads the all-time series, 2-0, having won the only prior meeting in Little Rock.
- Saturday's contest will be Tennessee State's first-ever visit to the Jack Stephens Center. The 2002 meeting in the Capital City was held at Trojan Fieldhouse.
- Joe Foley is 1-0 all-time against Tennessee State after the 64-57 win over the Lady Tigers on Dec. 31.
- So far this season, Tennessee State is the only team in the Ohio Valley Conference to score more than 50 points on the Trojans.
- The Trojans are 24-30 all-time against teams from the Volunteer State but have won seven straight against teams from that state to our East.
Five Things to Know
- Don't We Know You?
When Tennessee State visits the Jack Stephens Center on Saturday, it will have been only three weeks since the Trojans and Lady Tigers last faced each other but it seems like it was a year ago. Tennessee State will be the first OVC opponent that Little Rock will face twice this year after defeating the Lady Tigers, 64-57, on Dec. 31, 2022. That score is notable because so far Tennessee State is the only OVC team to score more than 50 points on the Trojans this season.
- Viva NashVegas
The city of Nashville has become a destination city for parties and the Trojans take full advantage of celebrations when facing teams from Nashville. That is because the Trojans are undefeated (4-0) all-time against teams from Nashville, having gone 2-0 in the program's history against Vanderbilt and having claimed a pair of wins over TSU, the most recent coming on Dec. 31. Little Rock has never faced Belmont or Lipscomb.
- A Benjamin? Teams Are Just Hoping for Half!
Ohio Valley Conference teams are getting a rude awakening to just how suffocating Joe Foley's defense is, and the numbers speak for themselves. Entering this game, OVC teams are barely managing 45.29 points per game and only one OVC team has managed to score more than 50 points on the Trojans when Tennessee State lost to Little Rock's Team, 64-57, on Dec. 31 in Nashville. Not a single OVC team has reached the 60-point mark against the Trojans this season.
- More Than Just an Overall Mark
You think those overall numbers are impressive? Look at what the Trojans are doing specifically in conference play. Currently, Little Rock is holding OVC opponents to a mere 45.29 ppg. That is the lowest number an OVC team has recorded in conference play dating back to the 1997-98 season (when data is available). To show how impressive the Little Rock defensive effort is this year, NO TEAM in the OVC since 1997-98 has held league opponents under 52.0 ppg.
- Positive Margins
The Trojans have found initial success this season creating a positive turnover margin, entering this game with a +3.33 turnover margin so far this season. That places Little Rock 67th in the nation and leads the OVC.
For the latest information on Little Rock Basketball, make sure to check out
LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockWBB on
Facebook,
Instagram and
Twitter.
Get the latest Trojan news – including the weekly Trojan Report – delivered to you direct to your inbox by
signing up for Little Rock Trojan E-News here.
#LittleRocksTeam
