Offense helps
UALR’s solid defensive play continued against Tulsa on Saturday, but it wasn’t until the offense broke out that the Trojans were able to chalk up a 64-60 victory over the Golden Hurricane. The victory put the Trojans at 5-0 this season, the third time UALR has done that as a Division I program. Senior Josh Hagins had 17 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds as UALR shot 63.6 percent in the victory.
UALR’s men’s basketball team continued its solid defensive play Saturday at Tulsa, but it wasn’t until it broke out offensively in the second half that the Trojans notched another quality nonconference victory.
UALR held Tulsa without scoring for almost seven minutes to start the second half and shot 63.6 percent from the field after halftime as it rallied for a 64-60 victory in front of an announced crowd of 3,831 at the Reynolds Center in Tulsa.
Senior Josh Hagins scored nine of his 17 points after halftime to go with 10 assists and 8 rebounds for the Trojans, who are 5-0 for the third time as a Division I program.
The victory over Tulsa, which received votes in both Top 25 polls last week, came a week after UALR won at San Diego State, which has reached the NCAA Tournament each of the past six seasons.
“We’re embracing the moment here,” UALR Coach Chris Beard said. “We’ve got a great opportunity. We knew we’d have to play a perfect game to beat them, and that’s what we did tonight.”
The final 20 minutes might have been near-perfect, but the start wasn’t.
Even with UALR bottling up Tulsa’s leading-scorer Shaquille Harrison, the Golden Hurricane (4-2) shot 46.2 percent from the field in the first half and turned 10 UALR turnovers into 13 points to lead 33-24 at halftime. “We had some careless turnovers, and against a team like Tulsa they’re going to run it right up on you and get two points,” Beard said of the Trojans, who trailed by as many as 15 in the first half. “I liked the way we played in the first half, I just didn’t like the way we executed.”
UALR held Tulsa without points on its first eighth possessions after halftime. That stretch lasted 6:50 and allowed UALR to score 12 consecutive points, with UALR taking a 36-33 lead on Jalen Jackson’s two free throws with 13:40 left.
Rashad Ray’s three-pointer with 13:10 left broke Tulsa’s drought to tie it at 36-36. James Woodard’s three-pointer a minute later gave Tulsa the lead again at 39-38, but UALR led the final 7:48 after Kemy Osse’s three made it 49-47.
Jackson scored 12 points in 15 minutes for the Trojans, while Osse made 3 of 4 three-pointers. UALR was was 8 of 15 from behind the three-point line.
Harrison, who entered averaging 23.6 points per game, was held to four points and didn’t make a shot from the field. James Woodard had 16 points for the Golden Hurricane, who were held to 21 points below their average and 39.2 percent shooting.
“Our shots just weren’t going down, and we also didn’t shoot free throws very well,” Tulsa Coach Frank Haith said of his team, which was 11 of 18 from the free-throw line.
“They have proven they are a good team when they beat San Diego State. The way they play the game is to shrink the clock and the game. Possessions are very important in a game like tonight, and when you get opportunities at the free throw line you have to go and make them.”
UALR returns home to play Central Arkansas at the Jack Stephens Center on Tuesday at 7 p.m.