RAND CHAMPION Assistant A.D./Communications 2018-19 TROJAN [email protected] 501.569.3307 GAME NOTES LRTrojans.com 2018-19 SCHEDULE GAME 26: TEXAS STATE 10-15 OVERALL, 5-7 SUN BELT Saturday, February 16 | 3 p.m. Jack Stephens Center | Little Rock, Ark. NOVEMBER Records: Little Rock (10-15, 5-7) | Texas State (20-5, 9-3) 8 SOUTHEASTERN OKLA. W (OT) 101-92 Watch: ESPN+ 13 at Tennessee State W 83-67 Radio: The Point 94.1 FM 16 at #6 Nevada ^ L 59-87 Live Stats: TrojanStats.com 19 at Tulsa ^ L 78-88 23 HOWARD ^ W 97-76 OPENING TIP 24 ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF ^ L 66-75 Another of the Sun Belt’s best heads to the Jack Stephens Center as Little STARTING FIVE 28 at Central Arkansas L 65-78 Rock closes out its Lone Star home stand facing first place Texas State Sat- urday at 3 p.m. Ben Creighton and U.S. Reed will have the call on ESPN+ • Little Rock and Texas State meet for the 14th time Saturday with DECEMBER while Ray Tucker will once again carry the radio call live on The Point 94.1 the Trojans holding an 8-5 lead in the all-time series. The Bobcats 1 SAM HOUSTON STATE W 79-52 FM and online at KKPT.com. have won the last three, however, including the 80-62 win in San 4 BRADLEY L 62-68 Marcos on January 17. 8 CENTRAL ARKANSAS L 82-85 THE RACE FOR NEW ORLEANS Little Rock’s victory over UT Arlington Thursday night vaulted the Trojans • Little Rock has won three-straight games for the first time since 11 MILES COLLEGE W 67-47 into a much more favorable position as the stretch run for the Sun Belt a five-game winning streak early in the 2016-17 season. It is also 19 at Memphis L 89-99 Tournament looms. The Trojans sit at 5-7 in Sun Belt play, tied for eighth the first three-game Sun Belt winning streak since a six-game 22 at Georgetown L (OT) 94-102 with South Alabama, but if the tournament started today, Little Rock span late in the 2015-16 season. would earn the eight seed due to its sweep of the Jaguars, meaning the JANUARY Trojans would host a first round tournament game at the Jack Stephens • Kris Bankston officially joined the Trojan record books, hitting 3 at ULM * L 84-97 Center against the number nine seed. his 90th field goal this season to qualify as the program’s single 5 at Louisiana * L 61-75 season field goal percentage leader at 81.1% in 2018-19. BACK IN THE BELT 10 TROY * W 73-59 The 2018-19 season marks Little Rock’s 28th year as a member of the Sun • Rayjon Tucker registered his fifth double-double of the season 12 SOUTH ALABAMA * W 91-62 Belt Conference, joining the league in the 1991-92 season. During that in the win over UT Arlington, his 23rd game finishing in double 17 at Texas State L 62-80 stretch, the Trojans have posted a 241-229 (.513) record in conference figures. Over the last three games, Tucker has scored 41 of his 59 19 at UT Arlington * L 73-82 play. Little Rock and UT Arlington have been Sun Belt rivals since the points in the second half. Mavericks joined the league in the 2013-14 season. 24 COASTAL CAROLINA * L 71-72 • With three more dunks Thursday, Little Rock upped its season 26 APPALACHIAN STATE * L 73-77 IRON MAN dunk total to 95. Kris Bankston has 59 of those for the Trojans, Rayjon Tucker continues to be a mainstay on the court for Little Rock as ranking third nationally. FEBRUARY the redshirt junior is averaging 36:24 minutes per game - first in the Sun 2 ARKANSAS STATE * L 83-84 Belt and 30th nationally. Tucker has played 35 or more minutes in 17 of 7 at Troy * W 84-70 his 24 games this season, playing 40 or more minutes five times. That time on the court has allowed him to put up some impressive numbers, 9 at South Alabama * W 73-68 ranking fifth in the Sun Belt in points per game (20.1), sixth in field goal percentage (49.2%), sixth in three-pointers (2.2) and third in defensive rebounds (6.0). Heading into the weekend, Tucker ranked 20th nationally in free throws made and 22nd in free throw attempts as his 134 made free 14 UT ARLINGTON * W 56-52 throws already rank seventh in a single season in program history. 16 TEXAS STATE * 3 p.m. 23 at Arkansas State * 7 p.m. TROJANS AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS 28 at Georgia Southern * 6 p.m. As a team, Little Rock finds itself ranked among the national leaders in a number of categories. Entering the weekend, the Trojans ranked ninth nationally in field goal percentage at 49.3%, second in the Sun Belt. Little Rock is one of the nation’s top teams in getting to the foul line, ranking MARCH 20th nationally with 573 attempts, while ranking 58th in turnovers forced (15.2), 74th in assists per game (14.9) and 78th in scoring (77.1 ppg). 2 at Georgia State * 12 p.m. 7 LOUISIANA * 6:30 p.m. LITTLE ROCK LAST GAME STARTERS 9 ULM * 3 p.m. 12-17 Sun Belt Tournament (New Orleans, La.) # * Sun Belt Conference game ^ Continental Tire Las Vegas Holiday Classic # Sun Belt Conference tournament (New Orleans, La.) 2 - DEONDRE BURNS - G 3 - RAYJON TUCKER - G 20 - KAMANI JOHNSON - F 23 - DANI KOLJANIN - F 55 - NIKOLA MARIC - F PTS. 10.4 PTS. 20.1 PTS. 5.2 PTS. 2.9 PTS. 9.9 FG% .436 FG% .492 FG% .567 FG% .377 FG% .506 3FG% .321 3FG% .387 3FG% .000 3FG% .172 3FG% .542 FT% .790 FT% .770 FT% .491 FT% .583 FT% .681 REB 2.8 REB 6.8 REB 4.9 REB 1.8 REB 4.2 AST 1.3 AST 1.8 AST 1.3 AST 0.1 AST 1.6 LRTrojans.com 1 2018-19 LITTLE ROCK GAME NOTES OUR CITY. BANKSTON ENTERS RECORD BOOK QUICK FACTS Kris Bankston officially entered the Little Rock record book Thursday TROJANS WITH... night in the win over UT Arlington. Bankston went 5-of-8 from the field, making his 90th field goal of the year to reach the minimum to UNIVERSITY INFORMATION ...A 24+ POINT GAME be listed among field goal percentage leaders. His season average of 36 Rayjon Tucker at Louisiana (1/5/19) Name University of Arkansas at Little Rock 81.1% (90-of-111) ranks as the top performance ever in program his- 34 Markquis Nowell vs. Southeastern Oklahoma (11/8/18) Preferred Name / Abbreviation Little Rock / LR tory, shattering the previous record of 65.0% set by Ryan Moss in the 33 Rayjon Tucker vs Sam Houston State (12/1/18) Founded 1927 1997-98 season. For his career, Bankston is shooting 73.4% from the 29 Deondre Burns vs. Howard (11/23/18) Enrollment 10,545 (Fall 2018) floor (138-of-188), which would be nearly 90 points higher than Moss’ 29 Rayjon Tucker at Memphis (12/19/18) 64.7% clip as he needs 62 more field goals to reach the minimum. Nickname Trojans 29 Rayjon Tucker vs. Coastal Carolina (1/24/19) Colors Maroon and Silver 27 Rayjon Tucker vs. Central Arkansas (12/8/18) THREE-STRAIGHT Affiliation NCAA Division I 27 Nikola Maric at Georgetown (12/22/18) Little Rock’s win over UT Arlington marked the Trojans’ third-straight Conference Sun Belt 24 Rayjon Tucker at Tulsa (11/19/18) win, the first time the Trojans had won at least three games in a row 24 Markquis Nowell at Georgetown (12/22/18) Chancellor Dr. Andrew Rogerson since winning five straight from Nov. 23 - Dec. 19, 2016. It also marks 24 Rayjon Tucker at Troy (2/7/19) Athletic Director Chasse Conque the first time Little Rock had won three-straight Sun Belt Conference 24 Rayjon Tucker at South Alabama (2/9/19) Athletic Department Phone (501) 569-3167 games since a six-game streak from Feb. 13 - Mar. 3, 2016. Website LRTrojans.com ...A 10+ REBOUND GAME DOUBLE DOUBLE TUCKER TUCKER 14 Rayjon Tucker at Georgetown (12/22/18) Rayjon Tucker picked up his fifth double-double of the year Thursday COACHING STAFF 12 Nikola Maric vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (11/24/18) night in the win over UT Arlington, finishing with 11 points and 10 re- Head Coach Darrell Walker 12 Kamani Johnson at Central Arkansas (11/28/18) bounds. Tucker scored all 11 of his points in the second half against the Alma Mater Arkansas, 2012 12 Rayjon Tucker vs. Miles College (12/11/18) Mavericks and has been an intimidating force over the final 20 minutes 11 Kris Bankston vs. Miles College (12/11/18) Little Rock Record 10-15 (First season) during this three-game winning streak, scoring 41 of his 59 points after 10 Rayjon Tucker at Tulsa (11/19/18) Career College Record 55-33 (Third season) halftime in the last three games. Assistant Coach Charles Baker 10 Rayjon Tucker vs. Arkansas State (2/2/19) 10 Rayjon Tucker vs. UT Arlington (2/14/19) Alma Mater Eastern Kentucky, 1990 FRESHMAN FOURSOME Little Rock’s freshman foursome have been called on early and often as Assistant Coach Alfred Jordan ...A DOUBLE-DOUBLE the group of Markquis Nowell, Kamani Johnson, Horace Wyatt Jr.