Trojans win with 3-point shield

LITTLE ROCK — Steve Shields gave Leroy Isler the toughest defensive match up his UALR team would face Monday night because of his bigger frame and what he had shown as a perimeter defender through the first three games.

The UALR coach had no clue of Isler’s personal motivations, though.

Isler, a 6-5 native New Yorker who arrived at UALR this summer from Lee (Texas) College, spent his middle school years playing basketball with Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Jordan Aaron while both were living in the Bronx.

At the Jack Stephens Center on Monday, Isler shadowed Aaron, 5-10, and held him to 13 points, eight below his season average in the Trojans’ 59-43 victory.

“I had a job to do today, and that was limit [Aaron],” Isler said. “I knew everything he was going to do. I sat down and I listened to Coach and stayed on my assignment. My assignment was to limit his catches.”

UALR (2-2), came into the game off road losses last week at Louisiana Tech (70-52) and Mississippi (92-52), and Shields wanted Isler on Aaron as much as possible considering how the Panthers guard had already taken games over this season.

So Shields inserted Isler into the starting lineup for the first time with specific instructions to keep the ball away from Aaron as much as possible.

Aaron scored 23 points in a Saturday victory over Dayton, 28 points in an earlier loss to South Carolina and entered Monday averaging 21 points per game.

But, blanketed by Isler, Aaron was held to five points in the first half, had just 1 point over the final 5:04 while UALR went on a decisive run and finished with 13 points on5-of-14 shooting.

“I thought tonight was very important to get off to a good start, that’s why I inserted him [Isler] in the starting lineup,” Shields said. “We wanted to trap all ball screens and get it out of [Aaron’s] hands. ... If he gets in a rhythm, watch out.”

Isler scored 13 points, with eight coming in the second half and his defensive intensity spread to his teammates, who were charged with guarding the three-point line more than they had so far this season.

Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2-2) came into the night averaging slightly more than 11 three pointers and were shooting 42 percent from three-point range.

But the Trojans held them to 5-of-22 three-point shooting Monday, and the Panthers missed their final six in the last 10 minutes while UALR went on a decisive 19-6 run.

Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s cold shooting coincided with UALR’s ability to get to the rim midway through the second half.

Aaron’s three-pointer on a fast break got the Panthers within 30-28 and Austin Arians’ three-pointer from the corner in front of his team’s bench got them within 40-37 with 10:03 left.

But Michael Javes scored inside on UALR’s next possession and Ben Dillard, Will Neighbour and James White followed with points from close range. All of UALR’s 19 points over the final 10 minutes came from inside the lane or the free-throw line.

UALR outscored Wisconsin-Milwaukee 35-16 in the lane and shot 51.1 percent, including 56 percent in the second half. UALR also scored 18 points off 19 forced turnovers.

“I started feeling good down low, let them feed me. It all started on the defensive end, really,” said Neighbour, who had a game-high 17 points. “We just let that come. What’s going to happen is going to happen.”

Neighbour scored 13 of his season-high points in the second half, while John Gillon added nine points in his second consecutive start.

Demetrius Harris, who signed to play football at Arkansas State out of Jacksonville High School in 2009 before switching sports, led Wisconsin-Milwaukee with 15 points.