BURN THE HORSE
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43 59 |
UALR rode a smothering defense to a 59-43 upset over
Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Monday to improve to 2-2 on the season.
The victory was surprising for a couple of reasons. First,
Milwaukee was coming off an overtime loss to South Carolina and a home victory
over Davidson. And second, UALR looked listless in a 40-point blowout loss to
Ole Miss on Friday night.
Enter junior Leroy Isler, playing the role of Fowler, the
shutdown defender. Fowler earned his reputation, and the Sun Belt’s defensive
player of the year award, with a smothering 25-minute stretch against
Louisiana-Lafayette’s Chris Gradnigo.
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| UALR's Leroy Isler locks up UWM's Jordan Aaron. |
Isler’s performance wasn’t quite on that level. But it was
the closest thing to it since Fowler graduated.
Isler got into the kitchen of Milwaukee’s Jordan Aaron all
night long, holding the reigning Horizon League player of the week to 13 points
on 5 of 14 shooting. It was part of a defensive effort that held the Panthers
to 32.7 percent shooting. That number included 5 of 22 (23 percent) from
three-point range.
UALR wasn’t great offensively, but still found a way to
shoot 51 percent from the field. The Trojans only attempted five three-pointers
all game, choosing to exploit Milwaukee for easy baskets in the paint.
Junior Will Neighbour still didn’t find his shooting touch
from the outside. But he gutted out a more than solid 17 point, 6 rebound
effort to lead the Trojans. Isler added 13 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals and
freshman James White, who was plagued with early second half foul trouble, had
7 points and 6 rebounds.
But it was Isler’s smothering of Aaron that should grab the
headlines. At one point in the second half, game official Ted Valentine warned
Aaron about running his mouth. Aaron was totally off his game.
But he wasn’t the only one. Milwaukee shooting guard Thierno
Niang spent much of the game in foul trouble and didn’t score. James Haarsma,
who burned UALR last year, also finished scoreless and played only six minutes.
If not for Arkansan Demetrius Harris’ 15 points and 13 points off the bench
from freshman Austin Arians, it would have been worse.
Of course it could have been worse if UALR finished the
layup opportunities they had. More than a half-dozen chances were missed when
the ball rolled off the rim and out.
The game was played as part of the Hoops for Hope Classic.
UALR will continue play in the event on Wednesday at home against Jacksonville.
They will then fly to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to take on SMU on Saturday.
