The Opening Tip

     UALR (5-1, 1-0 Sun Belt) looks for its second-best start in school history Saturday when it opens the month of December by welcoming the ULM Warhawks (1-5, 0-1 SBC). The 2008-09 UALR Trojans started 7-1 to begin the season.

Game time is set for 4:30 p.m. and tickets range from $7-38 and can be purchased at the door or by calling 501-565-UALR.

The Opening Tip

• UALR finished November 5-1 and on a 4-game winning streak after a 23-point win over Troy. The 52 points was a season-low for the fourth-highest scoring team in the nation.
• With 12 points and a career-best 11 boards against Troy, Hannah Fohne recorded her first career double-double.
• The Trojans improved to 4-6 in Sun Belt Conference openers under head coach Joe Foley.
• Sophomore Taylor Gault blocked six shots in the second half against Troy, the most rejections by a UALR player in more than 12 years.

• ULM is 1-5 on the season with its only win coming against Tennessee Tech on Nov. 24. In Tennessee Tech's
  following contest, it lost to Middle Tennessee in ovetime.

Scouting ULM

     ULM enters 1-5 on the year with its lone win last Saturday (Nov. 24) when it won at Tennessee Tech 59-48.

     In their last contest, the Warhawks opened up Sun Belt Conference play with a hard-fought battle with Western Kentucky Thursday night (Nov. 29). However, the Hilltoppers came out on top 65-57. A Jasmine Shaw layup with about 14 minutes remaing actually gave ULM a brief two-point lead.

     ULM likes to work the ball around on its possesions as 68 percent of its field goals (90-132) are assisted. The Warhawks are second in the conference with 15.0 assists per game. Shaw leads the team with 10.0 points and 5.3 boards per game. She is just also shy of two assists per game. Alexar Tugler, second on the team with 9.3 ppg, leads the team with four apg. Alayshia Hunter is third with 6.2 ppg and leads the team with a block a game.

     ULM was picked to finish fourth in the Sun Belt Conference West Division in the preseason poll of head coaches. Junior Jasmine Shaw was picked third team all-conference preseason.

Flashback to Last Year

     UALR split against with ULM last season with the Warhawks ending an 11-game slide to the Trojans.

     In the first meeting Jan. 12, 2012, ULM took a 15-point lead with 14 minutes left and held off UALR for the 58-54 victory in Monroe, La. It was the UALR bench that powered the comback as Hannah Fohne and Kiera Clark combined for 25 points. Alexar Tugler scored 15 for ULM.

     UALR got revenge less than a month later with a 52-46 win in Little Rock. Taylor Gault scored 19 for the Trojans while Jasmine Shaw added eight for the Warhawks.

For the first game recap, click here.

For the second game recap, click here.

Getting Defensive Is Not Always a Bad Thing

     In its four-game winning streak, UALR is holding its opponents to 52 points or less. During the run, two games in particular stands out.

     UALR started the run on the road at SMU with a hard-fought 47-43 win.  The Trojans held the Mustangs to a then-season low 23.2 percent (3-56) from the field.

      On Nov. 29, UALR held Troy to only 22.6 percent (14-62) from the field, forced 23 turnovers and held the fourth-highest scoring team in the nation to a season-low 52 points.

House of Horrors (for Opponents)

     The Jack Stephens Center has been quite the home venue throughout the years. UALR is 91-17 since it opened before the 2005-06 season (.843), including a 52-8 (.867) mark in Sun Belt Conference play.

     The UALR record for consecutive home wins are 29 from 1/23/07 (a victory over Harding) to 1/17/09 (a loss in overtime to Middle Tennessee).  That includes the last six home games of 2006-07-first nine home games of 2008-09.

     2011-12 was certainly an abberation, but UALR ended the season strong. After losing four of the first six in Little Rock, the Trojans bounced back and won 9 of its next 10.

     In conference play, UALR is even hotter with as many SBC losses the last five years as in the first year the Jack Stephens Center was open. UALR average margin of victory in home wins in 2012-13 is 27.7.

Trojans Rewind: Troy

     UALR faced a tough offensive juggernaut Thursday night (Nov. 29) in Troy, who led the Sun Belt Conference and was fourth in the nation with 88.8 points per game.

     The home team proved up to the task, blocking 11 shots and holding the visitors to 22.6 percent from the field as UALR upended Troy.

     UALR held Troy to a season-low 52 points and had a 60-44 rebounding edge.

     Senior Janette Merriex led a balanced UALR scoring attack with 14 points. Junior Taylor Ford barely missed a triple-double with 12 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Junior Hannah Fohne added her first collegiate double-double with 12 points and 11 boards.

     Sophomore Ka'Nesheia Cobbins came off the bench for 11 points while sophomore Taylor Gault blocked six shots in the second half, the most by a Trojan in a game in 12 years.

For the full recap, click here.

Next Up

     UALR steps back out of conference play and completes the five-game home stand Tuesday (Dec. 4) when  it welcomes Southern Miss. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.