| GAME 25 - SIU EDWARDSVILLE |
| Date/Time |
Saturday, February 4 - 3:30 p.m. |
| Location |
Little Rock, Ark. |
| Arena |
Jack Stephens Center |
| Records |
Little Rock (7-17, 3-8 OVC)
SIU Edwardsville (15-9, 6-5 OVC) |
| Watch |
ESPN+ |
| Listen |
106.7 FM The Buz2 |
| Live Stats |
StatBroadcast |
| Notes |
Little Rock | SIU Edwardsville |
LITTLE ROCK - Little Rock begins a key stretch of its Ohio Valley Conference schedule facing SIU Edwardsville Saturday, February 4 at the Jack Stephens Center. Opening tip against the Cougars is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. with the game streaming live on ESPN+ with Dorian Craft and Kyle Decklebaum on the call. Trojan Hall of Famer Ray Tucker will handle the radio broadcast on 106.7 FM The Buz2, getting underway at approximatey 3:15 p.m.
GAME STORYLINES
• Little Rock and SIU Edwardsville meet for the first time Saturday as the Trojans continue their inaugural season in the OVC. The Cougars are the seventh different team the Trojans have faced for the first time in program history this season.
• Little Rock begins a key stretch of the OVC season as the Trojans will play four of their next five games at home. Little Rock is 6-3 in home games this season, including a 5-3 mark at the Jack Stephens Center.
•
Myron Gardner notched his OVC-best 12th double-double at Southeast Missouri, finishing with 15 points and 10 rebounds. He is tied for eighth nationally as Little Rock leads the OVC with a combined 17 double-doubles as a team.
•
CJ White scored a career-high 22 points at Southeast Missouri Thursday, adding seven rebounds and six assists. Over the last seven games, White is third on the team in scoring (11.9 ppg), second in rebounding (6.7 rpg) and first in assists (5.3 apg.).
•
Isaiah Palermo became the sixth different Trojan to reach 20 points in a game this year as he and White (22 points) marked the third time this season a pair of Trojans have scored 20 or more points in the same game.
• Saturday's game is the Trojans' third this season against a team from the state of Illinois and the ninth time a team from the Land of Lincoln will make the trip to Little Rock. The Trojans are 7-1 all-time at home against teams from Illinois.
• Heading into Saturday's game, Little Rock is currently tied for eighth in the Ohio Valley Conference standings with Eastern Illinois and Lindenwood, two games back of seventh-place Tennessee State.
NEWS AND NOTES
SCOUTING THE COUGARS
2022-23: 15-9 overall, 6-5 Ohio Valley Conference
Last Three Games: W vs. UT Martin (89-75), L at Morehead State (55-50), L at Tennessee Tech (80-68)
Head Coach: Brian Barone (Marquette, 2000). Fourth season at SIUE and overall (43-70)
Key Players:
• #3 Ray'Sean Taylor (R-So., G): 15.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 37.9 FG%
• #0 Damarco Minor (So., G): 12.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 92.5 FT%
• #1 DeeJuan Pruitt (R-So., F): 11.4 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 50.7 FG%
• #4 Shamar Wright (R-Jr., G): 10.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 36.5 3FG%
• #55 Lamar Wright (R-Jr., F): 8.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 42.4 3FG%
FOR THE FIRST TIME
Little Rock and SIU Edwardsville meet for the first time in program history Saturday as the Trojans continue their inaugural season in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Cougars are the last of seven teams Little Rock will face for the first time this season, joining Miami (Ohio), San Francisco, Lindenwood, Southern Indiana, Tennessee Tech and Morehead State.
LAST TIME OUT
Little Rock had five players finish in double figures as the Trojans and Redhawks staged an offensive showdown Thursday night at the Show Me Center. But it was host Southeast Missouri with the advantage when the dust settled, edging Little Rock in a 99-98 thriller.
CJ White led the way with a career-high 22 points, adding seven rebounds and six assists, while
Isaiah Palermo notched a season-high 20 points off the bench and
Myron Gardner had his OVC-best 12th double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
MR. DO IT ALL
Myron Gardner continues to pace Little Rock this season, leading the Ohio Valley Conference with his 12th double-double of the year at Southeast Missouri Thursday. Gardner enters Saturday's game leading Little Rock in scoring (13.7 ppg), rebounding (9.3 rpg), assists (3.5 apg), steals (1.4 spg), minutes (30.7 mpg) and three point percentage (39.2%), tied for the team lead in blocks (0.4 bpg) and third in qualifying free throw percentage (75.7%). Gardner is among the top-40 in the NCAA in four statistical categories, including tied for eighth in double-doubles and 21st in defensive rebounds per game.
CJ COMING UP BIG
CJ White continues to be a key factor in conference play, scoring a career-high 22 points with seven rebounds and six assists at Southeast Missouri Thursday. Over the last seven games, White has ranked third on the team in scoring (11.9), second in rebounding (6.7 rpg) and first in assists (5.3), registering a pair of double-doubles. White sits 23rd nationally in assist/turnover ratio heading into Saturday at 2.84.
20-POINT CLUB
Little Rock had a pair of 20-point performers at Southeast Missouri in
CJ White (22) and
Isaiah Palermo (20). Six different Trojans have surpassed 20 points in a game this year as it was the third time two players achieved the feat in the same game.
PROVIDING CONSISTENCY
DeAntoni Gordon notched 17 points at Southeast Missouri for his 17th double figure game this season. Gordon has provided consistency inside, ranking second on the team in scoring (12.4 ppg) and rebounding (5.5 rpg) while leading the team in blocks (10) and is third in field goal (52.0%) and qualifying free throw percentages (75.7%).
DOUBLE-DOUBLE CLUB
Myron Gardner notched his OVC-best 12th double-double of the year at Southeast Missouri, finishing with 15 points and 10 rebounds. That is tied for eighth nationally as Little Rock has combined for 17 double-doubles this year, including three from
DeAntoni Gordon and a pair from
CJ White. The 17 combined double-doubles leads all OVC teams.
SPARK OFF THE BENCH
Isaiah Palermo had another big spark off the bench Thursday at Southeast Missouri, notching a season-high 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting and 6-of-8 from the line. He became the sixth different Trojan to register a 20-point game this season and reached double figures for the fourth time in the last five games.
DOUBLE FIGURE TROJANS
10 different Trojans have combined for 85 double figure games this season with five different Trojans reaching the mark at Southeast Missouri Thursday.
Myron Gardner leads all Trojans with 20 games in double figures this year and 29 for his career, scoring 10 or more points in 74.4% of his games as a Trojan (29-of-39).
DeAntoni Gordon ranks second in percentage of games in double figures at 68.8% (22-of-32).
STRUGGLES DOWN THE STRETCH
While Little Rock's record isn't what head coach
Darrell Walker wants it to be, the Trojans have been on the verge of flipping that script. In its last seven OVC losses, Little Rock has been within six with four minutes to go in each of them and has gotten to within one possession in every game, tying the game on two occasions. But opponents have used combined runs of 40-7 to keep the Trojans from getting over the hump.
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