It figures to be a low-scoring affair as the UT Arlington Mavericks (18-8) visit Little Rock to play the Trojans (24-3). The game starts at 8:15 pm ET on Thursday, Feb. 25 and will air on ES3.
The Trojans were victorious over Georgia Southern 75-61 the last time they played. Josh Hagins led all scorers on the team with 16 points on 6-for-10 shooting. The Mavericks are coming off a bitter 64-61 loss to Louisiana-Monroe in their last outing. Jorge Bilbao had a solid game, posting his fifth double-double of the season with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Points could be at a premium in this matchup between two of the nation’s best defenses. Little Rock ranks third in the nation in defensive efficiency (91.0), while UT Arlington is 15th (94.4). It will also be a tale of two tempos, as the fast-breaking Mavericks are ranked 18th in possessions per game, with the slow-paced Trojans at 341st.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Trojans won the first game 68-62. Hagins was a top performer in the victory with 20 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and two three-pointers.
Notes
UT Arlington lost its last game by a three-point margin. In games decided by a margin of three points or less, Little Rock is 2-1. UT Arlington is 1-2 in close games this season.
The Little Rock Trojans have a defensive rating of 91.0 (ranked third), while the UT Arlington Mavericks have an offensive rating of 108.6 (ranked 112th).
The UT Arlington Mavericks average a field goal percentage of 42.1% this season. The Little Rock Trojans have a solid 5-3 record in games where opponents have a FG% of 42.1% or greater.
The Little Rock Trojans and the UT Arlington Mavericks both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. Little Rock is 138th and 122nd in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while UT Arlington is 272nd and 230th in these categories.
Ranked 15th in the nation, UT Arlington has an average of 17.1 assists per game. Little Rock ranks lower at 210th with 12.9.
The UT Arlington Mavericks average 44.1 rebounds per game and are ranked second. The Little Rock Trojans average 34.9 rebounds per game, ranked 253rd.
UT Arlington ranks third in offensive rebounding, placing it among the best in the nation. Little Rock ranks a poor 193rd in defensive rebounds.
On average, Little Rock forces a turnover rate of 21.8%. When UT Arlington turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a winning 4-1 record.
