The Opening Tip

     UALR (10-2, 3-1 Sun Belt) faces a crucial interdivisional match-up Thursday (Jan. 3) when SBC East-leading Western Kentucky (11-2, 4-0 SBC) visits the Jack Stephens Center. Tip is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. Tickets range in price from $7-38 and can be purchased at the door or by calling 501-565-UALR.

     Unable to attend? There are multiple ways you can follow all the action. If you want to listen to audio, you can hear Phil Elson or Ron Jumper either on terrestrial radio at 920 AM or via the world wide web by clicking here. For subscription video, you can either watch on the UALR web site or on ESPN3 by clicking here. Finally, live stats can be found by clicking here.

Quick Hits

• UALR (10-2, 3-1 SBC) returns to the friendly confines of the Jack Stephens Center when it hosts Western Kentucky for a key SBC tilt.
• After losing its first 17 games against the Hilltoppers, UALR has won five of its last six games in the series.
• In the only meeting last year between UALR and WKU, the Hilltoppers' Chastity Gooch had only one board in 17 minutes of action. She has a double-double in each of the first 12 games this season.
• UALR is 6-3 in the first game after the New Year under Joe Foley. The Trojans have won their last four, including a 78-66 win at Western Kentucky Jan. 3, 2009.
• Western Kentucky is out to a 11-2, 4-0 SBC start this season. It has won its conference games by an average of 4.75 points.

Scouting Western Kentucky

     Western Kentucky enters the game 11-2 overall and 4-0 in Sun Belt play. The Hilltoppers and Florida Atlantic are currently battling it out for first place in the Sun Belt East Division. In their latest game Dec. 29, 2012, the Hilltoppers held on for the 82-80 home win over North Texas.

     Against the Mean Green, Western Kentucky led by as much as nine before the visitors mounted a rally. North Texas hit a layup with four seconds left to pull within 81-80, but WKU split from the line and NT failed to even get off a shot.

     In the game, Alexis Govan exploded for 40 points on 16-20 shooting and a 6-9 mark from the charity stripe. Chastity Gooch added the double-double with 15 points and a game-best 11 boards.

     Thanks to the 40-point outburst by Gooch, she has moved into 22nd in the country with 20 points per game. Chastity Gooch is 13th in the nation in rebounds (11.5) and 29th in steals (3.2) per game. Gooch also has a nation-best 12 double-doubles for the year.

Flashback to Last Year

     UALR trailed 24-22 at intermision, but a 7-0 run to begin the second half gave the Trojans the lead for good in a 61-50 win over Western Kentucky Jan. 22, 2012 in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

     After a jumper tied the game, a three-pointer by Taylor Gault with 18:20 left put UALR ahead. Five times WKU pulled within one, but a Trojan answered each threat. Three times it was Janette Merriex with a jumper, two of which were beyond the arc.

     Gault led a quartet of scorers for UALR with 17 points. Merriex and Taylor Ford added 14. Two players scored 38-of-50 points for WKU in last seasons contest. Alexis Govan and Chastity Gooch, WKU's leading scorers this season, were held scoreless.

To read more, click here.

Going for the Century Mark

     UALR head coach Joe Foley enters Saturday's contest with a 99-51 record in Sun Belt Conference play. With a win, he will become only the eighth head coach in league history with 100 wins.

     After an 11-31 record in his first three seasons, Foley is 88-20 in the last seven years. During those seven years (including 2012-13), Foley's teams are averaging 12.6 SBC wins per year.

House of Horrors (for Opponents)

     The Jack Stephens Center has been quite the home venue throughout the years. UALR is 94-17 since it opened before the 2005-06 season (.847), including a 52-8 (.867) mark in Sun Belt Conference play.

     The UALR record for consecutive home wins is 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 through the first nine home games of 2008-09.

     2011-12 was certainly an aberration, 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's average margin of victory in home games this season is 18.2.

Trojans Rewind: Louisiana-Lafayette

     UALR could not overcome a 13-point deficit and a 13-minute scoring drought to open the second half in a 56-54, double overtime loss at Louisiana-Lafayette Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012.

     The Trojans took an early 19-12 lead, but the Ragin' Cajuns stormed back and pulled within two right before halftime. However, freshman Morgan Bolton went coast-to-coast and beat the clock to give the visitors a 27-23 lead into break.

     It was a game of runs in the second half as ULL scored the first 17 points while holding UALR scoreless for more than 13 minutes to begin the second half. Louisiana-Lafayette  was then held scoreless for more than seven minutes while UALR went on an 12-0 run. Neither team could get a sizeable lead and a three by ULL's Brandi Schambough gave the home team the 56-54, 2 OT win.

     Sophomore Taylor Gault led all scorers with 15 while classmate Kiera Clark recorded nine rebounds. Fohne added three blocks.

To read more, click here.

Next Up

     UALR will complete the season series with its nickname counterpart on Saturday (Jan. 5) when it travels to Troy, Ala. to take on the Troy Trojans. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. UALR kicked off Sun Belt Conference play with a 75-52 win Nov. 29, 2012 in Little Rock.