UALR men snap losing streak with three-point barrage to beat Troy

  After getting off to a fast start, UALR got quagmired in the second half when Troy switched to a 2-3 zone.

Matt Mouzy made two crucial
three-pointers on Saturday.
He was 3 of 7 for the game.

  But UALR busted out of an offensive funk from long distance. Back-to-back three-pointers by Matt Mouzy and back-to-back three-pointers from Chuck Guy allowed UALR to take control of the game. And UALR survived a late three-point barrage by Troy by hitting its free throws in a 76-73 victory at the Jack Stephens Center.
  Solomon Bozeman led UALR with 17 points, but four others also reached double figures. Guy had 14, Mouzy and D’Andre Williams 12 and Alex Garcia-Mendoza 10 as UALR improved to 9-9 and 1-2 in the Sun Belt Conference. Williams also had six assists without a turnover and five steals.
  Troy point guard Will Weathers was as impressive as any player to visit the Stephens Center this season. He finished with 27 points and 10 assists.
  UALR made only 6 of 27 shots inside the three-point line. But they made 13 of 25 three-pointers and 25 of 35 free throws.
  UALR hustled its way to a first-half run. UALR got to every loose ball in the first 20 minutes, taking a 41-27 halftime lead. But Troy switched to a zone in the second half.
  Others have tried to zone UALR this season with little success. But this time, UALR got stuck trying to figure it out. And Troy took a 49-48 lead on a jump shot by Regis Huddleston and made it 51-48 on a layup by Will Weathers with 9:24 left.
  Mouzy entered the game and made a big impact. His three-pointer tied the game at 51-51 with 8 minutes left. Then after a steal by Williams, Mouzy hit another three-pointer for a 54-51 lead.
  Guy’s three-pointers gave UALR a 59-55 lead with 4:38 left and a 62-56 lead with 3:59 left.
  But Troy wouldn’t go away. The lead was 66-58 before Huddleston hit a three-pointer with 1:05 left. Troy hit two layups and two three-pointers in the final 45 seconds. But UALR held of Troy by going 9 of 10 from the free throw line. The biggest two came from Bozeman with 8 seconds left as UALR took a 74-70 lead
  Troy was without Coach Don Maestri, who had what was called a “severe nosebleed” and went to Baton Rouge, La., to stay with relatives so that he could see an ear, nose and throat specialist. It was the first time in 42 years of coaching that Maestri has missed a game.
  Maestri’s top assistant coach David Felix was also not in Little Rock. He was on a recruiting trip and could not make it back to Little Rock. Assistant Coaches Ben Fletcher and Michael Curry coached Troy on Saturday.
  Former Arkansas-Fayetteville forward Levan Patsatsia was quiet most of the game before making two three-pointers in the closing seconds. He finished with 10 points.