Little Rock Men Play Host to Southern Indiana Sunday With Road Trip Looming

Little Rock men's basketball coach Darrell Walker knows how important it is to win at home. Especially, in January where the Trojans only play three games at the Jack Stephens Center. Little Rock couldn't protect its home court in a 59-53 loss to Morehead State on Thursday and will have one more chance Sunday before embarking on a four-game road stand.
 
Little Rock (8-7, 2-2) plays host to Southern Indiana (6-9, 1-4) Sunday 25 minutes after the 1 p.m., women's game at the Jack Stephens Center.
 
The game can be heard on 1067 Buzz2 with legendary Trojan voice Ray Tucker on the call with the pregame show 15 minutes before tip time. ESPN+ will also have a live stream of the game.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Little Rock only led for 7:04 of the game, all in the first half, of a 59-53 loss to Morehead State on Thursday afternoon. The Trojans trailed by six at halftime, and the margin swelled to as many as 11 late in the second half. 
 
Isaiah Lewis led the Trojans with 14 points and seven rebounds.
 
BACK IN THE SADDLE?
Little Rock's injury problems are well documented with four players currently sidelined with medical issues including senior guard K.K. Robinson, who was lost for the season during the preseason, and three others currently nursing injuries.
 
One of those players may be able be nixed from the injured list soon. Sophomore forward Creed Williamson was in uniform Thursday and warmed up with the Trojans. 
 
"He was still limping a little, so I didn't want to put him out there like that, but he is closer," Trojans head coach Darrell Walker said. "But people have to realize just because these guys may be recovered doesn't mean they will be contributing right away because they have to get used to playing again and what we are doing."
 
IN ELITE COMPANY
The Trojans are one of the better defensive teams in the Oho Valley Conference, but their defense also stands out nationally. Little Rock is one of only nine teams in the nation (entering this week) that average nine steals and five blocks per game.
 
WINNING THE BATTLE OF THE BOARDS
There were several things that Trojans head coach Darrell Walker was displeased about in the loss to Morehead State Thursday, but he couldn't help but smile when discussing the rebounding statistics. Even though the Trojans are without three forwards, they outrebounded MSU 38-35. With injuries and a league-imposed suspension, 6-foot-10 freshman Caleb Pennyfeather, who totaled six rebounds and a steal Thursday, has been forced into a starting role. Also, in the loss to Morehead State, seldom-used Nikola Milosevic saw action off the bench.
 
 
THE SERIES
The teams didn't begin playing until the 2022-23 season when Little Rock entered the Ohio Valley Conference and have split four meetings. Southern Indiana took the first two games and Little Rock won the pair last winter. The Trojans won 77-75 at Evansville, Ind., and then blew out SlU 80-62 at home.
 
FIRST LOOK: SOUTHERN INDIANA
The Screaming Eagles dropped to 1-4 in Ohio Valley Conference play with a 77-67 loss at Southeast Missouri State Thursday night. 
 
USI has been competitive in all of those five games except a 77-46 home loss to UT Martin. The Screaming Eagles started the conference season with a 77-75 home win against Tennessee State. They lost to Morehead State 70-68 and Tennessee Tech 68-64 at home last week before losing their third straight to the Redhawks Thursday.
 
Jayland Randall, a 6-foot-5 junior guard transfer from Alabama A&M, leads USI with 15.5 points per game. He is a solid three-point shooter, hitting 43% of his threes. Big man Stephen Olowoniyi, a 6-foot-8, 200-pound sophomore VMI transfer, averages just under 15 points ppg and 6 rebounds per game.  Damoni Harrison averages 13.3 ppg and hits 42% of his three-point shots. The 6-5, 180-pound guard is a transfer from Tallahassee (Fla.) Community College.
 
USI, long an NCAA Division II power, is only in its third season of NCAA Division I play. Stan Gouard became the school's 10^th head coach in program history in April 2020.
USI was 8-24 last season but qualified for the OVC Tournament in the Screaming Eagles' first season in the OVC, Gouard guided the squad to 16-17 mark, 9-9 in the OVC, and a berth to the College Basketball Invitational. 
 
Gouard played on the 1995 USI Division II National Championship team that was coached by current Auburn coach Bruce Pearl. He was also an assistant USI and Indiana State before becoming the head coach at the University of Indianapolis.