The Opening Tip

     UALR (1-1) returns to action Monday (Nov. 19) when it makes the shorttrip to Dallas to take on the SMU Mustangs (3-0) at 5:30 p.m. It is the second meeting between the two programs, with the Mustangs claiming a 69-60 win last year in Little Rock.

     All the action can be heard on AM 920 or by clicking here. Phil Elson will have the call for you live from Moody Coliseum.

Quick Hits

• UALR and SMU meet for only the second time in both programs history. SMU won last year in Little Rock 69-60.
• Senior Janette Merriex tied game highs in both points (18) and threes for a game against the Lady Bears, including three straight from beyond the arc in the midst of UALR's 11-0 second-half run.
• Junior Hannah Fohne reached double-digits in rebounds against Missouri State for the first time since her freshman season. It was only the second time in her career with 10 rebounds.
• SMU is in the midst of a six-game homestand to begin the season. The Mustangs knocked off Alcorn State, Texas Southern and North Texas in their first three.

   • After beginning on the road for two of the first three games, UALR will play six of the next seven at home.

Scouting SMU

     The Mustangs are 3-0 to begin the season with every victory coming in the confines of Moody Coliseum. SMU begins the season with six-straight home games.

     SMU defeated Alcorn State and Texas Southern by double-digits before escaping with a 67-63 win over North Texas on Thursday (Nov. 12). Alisha Filmore and Farrin Bell led the Mustangs with 16 and 12 points, respectively.

     Four players are averaging double-digits through three games this season. Filmore leads the way with 14 ppg while Gabrielle Wilkins adds 11. Mallory Singleton adds 10.7 while Bell contributes 10.3 ppg while adding a team high 7.0 rebounds per game.

     SMU was picked to finish eighth of 12 teams in its final season in Conference USA. Junior forward Akil Simpson, who was selected second-team All-Conference in the preseason, is averaging 3.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

Flashback to Last Year

     UALR took a five-point lead into the lockeroom and built it to 41-32 on a three by Janette Merriex with 16:12 left in the game. However, the Mustangs responded with a 19-0 run over the next seven minutes and went on to win 69-60.

     In what was Taylor Gault's second game of her career and first start, she scored 20 points on 8-17 shooting and three assists in 37 minutes. Merriex added eight points while Hannah Fohne tallied four boards.

     Alisha Filmore led a trio of Mustangs in double-digits with 15 points, including eight during the run of SMU's 19 unanswered points. Akil Simpson contributed 15.

     For more on the game, click here.

She Is Not a Fohne on Defense

     Junior forward Hannah Fohne came into the season as one of the top UALR returning rebounders from the 2011-12 campaign. She has 19 rebounds through two games this year, matching her single-game high of last season with nine boards against Tulsa (Nov. 12). Fohne recorded her second-double digit rebounding effort of her career with 10 boards against Missouri State.

                Rebounding is not the only defense prowress Fohne has displayed this season. She has three blocks and has even taken a charge in every game this season.

Gault Dazzles in Opener

     What a difference a year makes for sophomore Taylor Gault. After not scoring a point in her first career game last season against Tulsa on November 11, 2011, she torched the Golden Hurricanes for 33 points on 13-20 shooting. The 65.0 shooting percentage was the second best of her career.

     With two free throws with 10 seconds left in the game, Gault broke the two-year old record by Chastity Reed for the most points by a Trojan in a season opener. Reed had 31 points on 13-19 shooting and 5-6 from the line in a 76-51 win over Davidson Nov. 12, 2010.

Dialing it Up From Long Range

     Senior Janette Merriex is having quite the early season from long range for UALR. After going 1-2 in the first game of the season against Tulsa (Nov. 12), Merriex nailed six of 10 treys to match her single-game best from her sophomore year. Her 7-12 (58.3) clip from beyond the arc is the 8th-best mark in the Sun Belt Conference this season.

     After hitting three triples against Missouri State, Merriex dialed in from deep for three treys on successive possesions during UALR's 11-0 run late in the second half against the Lady Bears.

Hopefully the Early Bird Catches the Worm

     After a three-game in five day stretch coming up (Nov. 19-24), UALR will jump into one of the earliest conference schedules in the country when it hosts Troy on Nov. 29. It is the earliest start to Sun Belt Conference play for the Trojans, besting by two weeks the start of conference play for the 2006-07 season (Dec. 13, 2006 against ULM). UALR plays four conference games before the turn of the new year. Overall, UALR is 10-4 under head coach Joe Foley in conference tilts before the new year.

     If that was not early enough, FIU travels to Western Kentucky Monday (Nov. 19) for the first SBC game of the season.

The Freshman Report

     While none have started, four freshman have seen significant time for the Trojans this season.

       In two games, the UALR newcomers have combined for 76 minutes, 17 points on 6-20 shooting, five assists, three blocks and two steals. Forward Shanity James leads with nine points thus far while forward Carolee Dillard adds a pair of blocks. Morgan Bolton has dished out four dimes while Jakeisha Wells is 2-2 from the charity stripe.

Trojans Rewind: Missouri State

     UALR and Missouri State went into intermission tied at 42 after a first half where neither team led by more than four. However, the Lady Bears went on an 18-4 run to go up  by 17 and withstood a furious Trojans rally as Missouri State won 78-68 Thursday night (Nov. 15) at the Jack Stephens Center.

     Senior Janette Merriex led the Trojans with 18 points, all coming from three-pointers in a 6-10 shooting effort from deep. Sophomore Taylor Gault added 16 while junior Taylor Ford added 10, all in the first half.

     As a team, UALR added seven blocks and shot 26-65 (40.0 percent) in the game.

     The Trojans trailed 74-57 with just over six minutes remaining before its longest run of the year (11-0) over the next two minutes to cut the deficit to six. During the rally, Merriex dialed up three triples on three consecutive possesions.

      For more on the game, click here.

Next Up

     UALR continues its three games in five days stretch when it hosts Oral Roberts on Thanksgiving Eve (Nov. 21). Tip-off is scheduled for 5:15 p.m.