A-STATE/UALR HISTORY
The historic rivalry between A-State and UALR resumes with A-State leading the series 49-30. The Red Wolves won an epic four overtime thriller in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in the last meeting, 116-114. While the series is 5-5 over the last 10 meetings, UALR has won five of the last eight.
The Red Wolves hold a 29-10 advantage in the series in games played at home and are 16-8 against the Trojans inside the Convocation Center. A-State has won the last two on the home floor against UALR by an average of 26 points.
Last season, A-State and UALR split the season series with the home team winning each, but the Red Wolves earned the win on the neutral court in the conference tournament.
Melvin Johnson III converted a three-point play with 6.8 seconds left in the fourth overtime to seal the 116-114 four overtime win in the last meeting with UALR. Johnson, one of five players to score double figures, finished with 19 points in the contest that features 23 ties and 31 lead changes. A-State never held more than a three-point lead. Ed Townsel scored a career high 32 points while Kirk Van Slyke pumped in 24 points and Brandon Reed had 23. Kendrick Washington had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Two weeks prior to the four overtime victory, A-State was handed a 74-67 loss at UALR. The Trojans connected on 56 percent of its shots in the second half and scored seven-straight points within a two-minute span late in the game to defeat the Red Wolves. Cameron Golden led A-State with 15 points while Brandon Reed netted 13 points and Kendrick Washington added 11 points.
In last year's meeting at the Convocation Center, Melvin Johnson III poured in 21 points to power A-State to the 77-49 win. Kendrick Washington and Kirk Van Slyke joined Johnson III in double figures with 16 and 15 points, respectively.
SCOUTING UALR
UALR makes the short trek to Jonesboro with a 7-12 record and a 2-7 mark in Sun Belt Conference play. The Trojans were dealt a 75-68 loss to UT Arlington on the home floor Saturday.
Like A-State, UALR used a big run in the second half to defeat Troy last week. UALR used a 20-2 run to start the second half to build a lead it would never relinquish in a 73-65 win over Troy last Thursday.
Seven of UALR's 12 losses this season have come within a five-point margin including five of its seven SBC defeats. Three of the Trojans losses have come in overtime games
Roger Woods leads the Trojans in scoring (12.6) and rebounding (6.5). Josh Hagins also averages double figures (11.3) and leads the team with 58 assists and 25 steals.
UALR shoots 41 percent from the field and 33 percent from beyond the arc heading into Thursday's game. The Trojans defense has held opponents to 43 percent shooting from the floor and 39 percent from long range. At the charity stripe, UALR shoots 70 percent and the Trojans average 35.5 rebounds per game.
Steve Shields is in his 12th season as head coach at UALR with a record of 186-172. With a mark of 103-90 in Sun Belt play, Shields is tied with former A-State coach Dickey Nutt for fourth place on the SBC's alltime coaching wins list.
THE PACK COMES BACK
A-State erased an 11-point deficit to come-from-behind and defeat Troy 64-55 on Jan. 24. With the victory, A-State has three wins this season after trailing by 10 or more points in that game. The Red Wolves trailed by 12 in the first half against Marshall, but came back to win. In the Sun Belt Conference opener at South Alabama, A-State trailed by 11 with 16:36, but forced overtime and came away with a 63-60 victory. The Red Wolves trailed Troy 38-27 with 18:08 remaining and left with a 64-55 victory.
The Red Wolves have erased nine-point second half deficits in two games this season, earning a win at Niagara and an overtime win on the home floor against Texas State.
Under head coach John Brady, A-State has erased seven second half deficits of 10 or more points, including two this season.
| Opponent |
Trailed |
Time |
Result |
| Marshall |
8-20 |
11:53 1st H |
W, 67-58 |
| at Niagara |
42-51 |
16:36 2nd H |
W, 74-69 |
| at South Alabama |
30-41 |
16:36 2nd H |
W, 63-60 OT |
| Texas State |
26-35 |
19:49 2nd H |
W, 78-73 OT |
| at Troy |
27-38 |
18:08 2nd H |
W, 64-55 |
STAT TRENDS
A-State is 9-1 this season when grabbing 35 or more rebounds. The lone loss was a 73-65 loss at Toledo.
The Red Wolves are 8-3 on the season when having fewer three-point attempts in the second half than in the first half. Further, in the 11 games in which A-State has fewer three-point attempts in the second half, the Red Wolves have outscored their opponents 379-328 in the second half alone. In the first half of those games, A-State has been outscored 384-318.
The Red Wolves are 8-3 when 25 or more of their points are inside the painted area. A-State is 8-3 this season when opponents score 30 or fewer points in the paint.
The Red Wolves are 6-1 this season when earning a trip to the free throw line more than their opponents.
A-State is 7-3 this season when Anthony Livingston sinks three or more free throws.
DE-FENSE
When opponents shoot 45 percent (.450) or below from the floor, A-State sports a 9-2 record. Georgia State (35.8 percent) and Toledo (41.1 percent) are the two foes to shoot below 45 percent and defeat the Red Wolves. Further, A-State is 8-3 on the season when opponents shoot below 45 percent in the second half.
When the Red Wolves defense limits opponents to 30 percent or below (.300) from three-point range, A-State sports a 7-3 record. Lamar (29.4 percent), ULM (11.1 percent) and Georgia State (30.0 percent) are the three teams to defeat A-State when shooting 30 percent or below from beyond the arc.
BENCH PRODUCTION
The Red Wolves bench scored 17 points against Troy, the 11th time in 19 games that the bench reached double figures.
A 21-point bench performance at ULL is the most that A-State has scored this season and the second time to top 20 points (Belhaven).
On the season, A-State's bench has been outscored 428-198, an average of 12.1 points per game.
A-State is 4-1 on the season when the bench is even or outscores the opponent.
KEEP CALM AND TRAVEL A LOT
The Red Wolves have put a lot of mileage on their bodies this season, having traveled 10,574 miles to date. A-State is scheduled to travel 14,372 miles on the season.
In conference play, the Red Wolves have logged 5,694 miles, including a trip of 1,376 miles to Louisiana-Lafayette and Troy last weekend. With trips to Georgia State, Georgia Southern, UALR and Texas State remaining on the schedule, A-State has 3,798 miles to cover in league play.
The Red Wolves non-conference scheduled included a 2,302 mile journey to Niagara and A-State covered 2,578 miles in their road trip to play at Purdue and Toledo. In the non-conference slate, A-State traveled 4,880 miles.
A-State will have traveled more than halfway around the Earth, 14,372 miles of 24,859 miles.
ROAD SUCCESS
Although the travel has been heave, the 2014-15 Red Wolves are on the hunt for the single-season record of eight road wins set in the 1973-74 season.
A-State is 6-5 on the road thus far, picking up a sixth road win Saturday at Troy.
Last year, A-State was 7-7 on the road, just shy of tying the mark.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE LIVINGSTON
Sophomore forward Anthony Livingston has posted four double-doubles in the last five games and earned Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week honors for his performances against Appalachian State and Texas State.
Livingston has topped 20 points six times, including two of the last three outings and grabbed 15-plus rebounds in two games this year.
With nine double-doubles, Livingston is closing in on the most in a single-season dating back to the 2005-06 season. Brandon Peterson had 12 double-doubles in the 2012-13 season and Isaac Wells had 12 in the 2005-06 campaign.
PASSING WITH PJ
A-State redshirt sophomore point guard PJ Hardwick dished out 15 assists and scored 10 points against Appalachian State on Jan. 3rd for his first double-double of the year. His 15 assists tied the Convocation Center record set by Chico Fletcher and was two shy of Fletcher's single-game record.
Ohio State's Shannon Scott, who had 16 assists in a game, is the only player this season with more assists.
With his double-double against Appalachian State on Jan. 3rd with 10 points and 15 assists, Hardwick snapped a streak of 272 games without an A-State player registering a double-double in points and assists. Prior to Hardwick's performance, Derek Tipler's triple-double against Troy on Feb. 1, 2006 was the last time an A-State player had accomplished the feat.
DID YOU KNOW
Sophomore guard Daijon Macklien played football at NCAA Division II North Alabama in the 2012 season
Cameron Golden has switched his jersey number to one for this upcoming season after wearing zero this past 2013-14 campaign.
The Red Wolves have gone 118-straight games hitting a three-pointer.
The last time A-State didn't hit a shot from behind the arc was Feb. 24, 2011 when North Texas held the Red Wolves 0-8 from three at the Convocation Center. A-State would win the game without needing a three-point make, 63-47.
A-State has gone 575 games since losing a game in which it scored 90 or more points. The loss came in the 1995-96 campaign, a 101-93 loss at Jacksonville on January 22, 1996.
