We continue
to see growth from this UALR basketball team. The next couple of games will
really test just how far they have come.
UALR rolled
to an 88-74 victory over Arkansas-Fort Smith on Tuesday. You might not think a
14-point victory over a NCAA Division II opponent is rolling, but it really
was. UALR never trailed and held a 25-point lead with 5:30 left.
“I thought
we did a good job from an energy standpoint from the start,” UALR Coach Steve
Shields said. “I think our guys respected who UA-Fort Smith is.”
If you do
the research, you’ll find that UAFS has a chance to be a very good team in
Division II this year. They stayed tight at TCU earlier this year and are
currently ranked No. 18 in D2.
Up next is a
trip to Tulsa on Saturday afternoon (weather permitting). Tulsa has just one
victory this season but they’ve played a schedule that is tougher than UALR’s
tough schedule. Then UALR gets Memphis before going to the tournament in the
U.S. Virgin Islands.
“I think we’ve
made progress each and every game,” Shields said. “We’re continuing to get
better offensively.”
BURN UNIT
It was
another mostly solid effort for sophomore guard Josh Hagins on Tuesday. He finished
with 11 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and just 1 turnover. Hagins
made 3 of 5 three-pointers.
INJURY UPDATE
UALR was
once again without junior J.T. Thomas and freshman Andrew Poulter. Thomas is
getting closer to returning but it doesn’t appear likely he’ll play on Saturday
at Tulsa. Poulter continues to rehab and has started running. They hope he’ll
return in time for Sun Belt play in January.
TROJAN MAN
UALR junior
point guard DeVonte Smith had 9 assists and 0 turnovers in 30 minutes.
“He brought
good energy and is continuing to get better on the defensive end,” Shields
said.
STAT OF THE GAME
All 11 UALR
players saw at least 10 minutes of action, attempted at least three field goals
and scored at least 1 point.
GLASS HALF FULL
Sophomore
forward James White had a double-double on Tuesday with 11 points and 11
rebounds in 24 minutes. He also had 2 blocks and 2 steals.
“He’s a guy
who can average between 7 and 9 rebounds a game,” Shields said. “He was very
active on the glass on both ends tonight.”
GLASS HALF EMPTY
Senior
forward Will Neighbour was mostly unstoppable (20 points in 26 minutes) except
in one area. He had 5 turnovers and now has a team high 22 for the season.
KEYS TO VICTORY
Come to
Paint: UALR held a 28-14 advantage in points in the paint but both teams made
17 of 24 free throws. Grade: B-.
Cut Them
Loose: UALR jumped out to an 11-1 lead. Even though UAFS cut the lead to 2
midway through the first half, UALR stepped on the gas and led by double digits
the rest of the way. Grade: A-
Boarding
School: UALR held a 45-29 advantage in rebounds, including 17-7 in offensive
rebounds. Grade: A.
WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS
There was no
line on the game
UP NEXT
UALR travels
to Tulsa (1-6) on Saturday afternoon. Tulsa’s victory came against Indiana
State and there losses, mostly close, have been to Oral Roberts, Missouri
State, Wichita State, Creighton, TCU and Wisconsin-Green Bay. They play Texas
Southern tonight.
