Let’s get it out of the way. Anyone who says they thought
UALR could rally from 14 down in the final 76 seconds left is lying. That
includes us.
(But we do find it ironic that right at the exact time when
the Trojan Town message board declared the game over, that UALR rose from the
ashes. That’s OK. We were preparing the postmortem. We were just smart enough
not to press send.)
What’s really amazing about the comeback is that there was
actually some room for error for UALR.
Southern didn’t go scoreless over the final 1:16. Southern
actually went 5 of 9 from the free throw line during that span. But they missed
three front ends of 1 and 1s that could have (should have) put the game out of
reach.
UALR also wasn’t perfect.
The Trojans missed three field goal attempts, finishing the game by
going 7 for 10 in the final 76 seconds. But each time they got it back. Junior
DeVonte Smith missed a layup but
sophomore James White scored on the rebound. Sophomore Josh Hagins missed a
three-pointer and senior Will Neighbour scored on a putback. Hagins missed a layup and sophomore Kemy Osse
scored on the rebound.
BURN UNIT
UALR senior forward Will Neighbour finished with 20 or more
points for the third consecutive game. And he was a beast again on Friday.
ON FIRE
After going without a three-pointer in Monday’s loss to
Middle Tennessee, UALR hit one on its first attempt of the night on Friday.
Freshman Mareik Isom drilled his first attempt. UALR made 6 of 13 on Friday,
including 4 of 7 by Hagins.
NUMBERS NEVER LIE
19-5. UALR outscored Southern 19-5 in the final 76 seconds
(actually final 68 seconds) to force overtime.
INJURY UPDATE
UALR junior point guard J.T. Thomas went down with a strain
of some sort in the second half and did not return. His status for Tuesday’s
game is not known. Junior Ben Dillard returned from injury and saw his first
minutes of the season. He made 9 of 10 free throws in the game.
GLASS HALF EMPTY
UALR let a second-half lead slip away when Neighbour went to
the bench for a rest. It took a miracle finish to get the game into overtime.
GLASS HALF FULL
UALR outrebounded Southern 44-42. UALR’s total included 15
offensive rebounds, three of which saved possessions during the Trojans’ rally.
KEYS TO VICTORY
Win the 2: Josh Hagins had 19 points and Kemy Osse and Ben
Dillard each had 9. Grade: A.
Re-do Rebound: It didn’t look great most of the night, but
UALR pulled down two more rebounds than Southern. Grade: B+.
Free thinking: UALR couldn’t get to the line early but did
so late. The Trojans made 25 of 35 free throws compared to Southern’s 24 of 39.
Grade: B.
WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS
We never saw a line posted. But no doubt this was an upset
victory for UALR.
UP NEXT
UALR hosts NCAA Division II Southern Arkansas at 7 p.m. on
Tuesday at the Jack Stephens Center.