Bench providing a punch
Arkansas-Little Rock senior guard Bradley Douglas is averaging 10.6 points per game in his first season with the Trojans. A junior college AllAmerican at Santa Fe (N.M.) Community College in 2022, was known for his scoring ability before transferring to UALR after averaging 14 points per game last season at Florida Southwestern State.
Douglas started 14 games to begin the season, but UALR Coach Darrell Walker decided to start bringing him off the bench following a 90-82 loss at Tennessee State on Dec 30.
The move has already paid dividends. In the nine games since moving to the bench, Douglas is averaging 12.1 points per game and has scored in double figures six times.
“For some reason, I just have been feeling more comfortable coming off the bench,” Douglas said. “I like it. It doesn’t bother me and I’ve been playing well ever since.”
In Tuesday’s home win over Tennessee-Martin, Douglas scored a game-high 17 points in the 77-57 Trojans win. The second-leading scorer for UALR also came off the bench in senior center Makhel Mitchell, who finished with 14 points. Mitchell missed the first 11 games of the season with eligibility issues, but has since seen his role increase.
In the past six games, Mitchell has scored in double figures five times and also has been a defensive force by blocking shots. In many games, Douglas and Mitchell are the only players Walker plays off the bench and they have built a connection on the floor.
“Makhel makes a big difference and helps us out both offensively and defensively,” Douglas said. “With him being back, it’s just another plus for our team. We usually play off each other a lot. He gets me a lot of open shots in practice and we just translate that to the game.”
— Mike Harley
UAPB WOMEN
Getting defensive
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff doesn’t sit atop the Southwestern Athletic Conference in either fieldgoal percentage defense or scoring defense, but the Golden Lions recently offered up a glimpse of what they’re capable of doing on that end of the floor.
During Monday’s 77-48 victory over Prairie View A&M, UAPB held the Panthers to a season-low 21.8% shooting (12 of 55), including a dismal 4-of-27 showing in the first half. That overall percentage is the lowest the Golden Lions have yielded all season. UAPB also forced 31 turnovers, its second-most in a game this season.
In addition, only one team has scored fewer points against the Golden Lions than what the Panthers generated, and that was Arkansas Baptist. The Buffaloes had 35 points during their 68-point loss to UAPB on Dec. 1.
The Golden Lions, who are fourth in the SWAC in opponent field-goal percentage (38,2%) and eighth in scoring defense (69.3 points per game) will look to add build off that effort Saturday when they host an Alcorn State team that’s 11th in the league in scoring.
— Erick Taylor
ARKANSAS STATE WOMEN
Izzy on torrid pace
Arkansas State junior guard Izzy Higginbottom of Batesville ranks sixth in the country with 23.3 points per game. She has scored 30 or more points in seven games this season, including three in the past two weeks.
After scoring 35 points against South Alabama and 33 points against Old Dominion last week, Higginbottom was named Sun Belt Conference Player of Week for the second time this season. She also averages nearly four assists per game.
In the Red Wolves’ 91-84 loss at Troy on Jan. 27, Higginbottom had 34 points, 8 assists and 3 steals. To date, Higginbottom and Iowa star Caitlin Clark are the only two players in the nation who have recorded games of 30-plus points with at least 8 assists and 3 steals.
Arkansas State travels to Akron for a nonconference matchup Saturday.
— Mike Harley
CENTRAL ARKANSAS MEN
Working through a slump
University of Central Arkansas forward Tucker Anderson has largely excelled in his freshman season in Conway, leading the Bears with more than 14 points per game.
But as of late, his shooting form has cooled after a hot three-week stretch
From UCA’s Dec. 30 loss to Missouri to its Jan. 18 win over Lipscomb, Anderson hit 21 three-pointers at a whopping 55.2% clip. During that six-game stretch, he averaged 17.8 points per game.
Since then, he’s made just 7 of 32 three-pointers (21.9%) as UCA has lost four of those five games.
In the lone win of that stretch, a 92-87 victory over reigning ASUN champion Kennesaw State on Jan. 27, Anderson showed an ability to score without three-pointers. He made 2 of 10 shots from behind that arc but finished with 19 points thanks to 7 free throws on a career-high 10 attempts.
With junior guard Camren Hunter likely to sit the remainder of the season, Anderson will continue to be relied on to carry a significant offensive workload.
— Sam Lane