LITTLE ROCK — As the college basketball season heads down the stretch, UALR men’s Coach Steve Shields and women’s Coach Joe Foley hope their teams can make a strong run toward the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, March 8-11 in Hot Springs.
UALR’s men (14-10, 8-5) had won three in a row before losing 70-66 to South Alabama on Saturday night. UALR’s women (15-7, 7-6) has won four in a row after losing six of seven.
“I hope we’re ready for the stretch drive,” Foley said. “We pride ourselves on playing great defense. When we had that losing streak, we gave up 62 points per game [actually 65]. We made a few changes, but we’re playing better defensively.”
For the season, UALR’s women yield 54 points per game. holding opponents to 32.2 percent field-goal shooting. The Trojans are giving up 44.75 points per game during their recent winning streak.
A year ago, UALR’s women won of 9 out of their last 10 games to advance to the NCAA Tournament, defeating Middle Tennessee 71-70 in overtime to win the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament, where they lost 73-42 to Delaware at the Jack Stephens Center.
“Last year, we pulled it off,” Foley said. “I’ll never sell my team short, but we have to play great defense to have a chance.”
Defense was also Shields’ mind after giving up 70 points to South Alabama, adding that his team “has a long way to go” in transition defense.
Shields’ Trojans play at Louisiana-Monroe (3-15, 2-10) on Thursday night, take Saturday off, then meet up with in-state rival Arkansas State next Thursday in Jonesboro.
ASU (14-8, 8-5) is tied with UALR for the West division lead.
“There’s not a better rivalry in the state than us and Arkansas State,” Shields said.
Looking to the future, Foley said UALR has signed a four year contract to play LSU in a home-and-home series starting next season with a game at the Stephens Center. Foley said the Trojans will also play Texas in a home-and-home series starting next year in Austin.
“We’re not going to play any guarantee games,” Foley said, talking about games where the visiting team gets a large amount of money but no return game. “We feel we’ve gotten to the point where people can play us and not feel like their RPI is going to get hurt.”
Both coaches also spoke of their concern that the Sun Belt Conference basketball tournament could be leaving Hot Springs after this year, even though Hot Springs Convention Center’s contract with the Sun Belt runs through 2014.
Shields said, “It will be difficult to see it leave because the Hot Springs community does a great job of embracing it and we’re a league that needs to be in place where we are embraced. We can’t go anywhere and stand alone and the truth is Central Arkansas has embraced it.”
Foley said, “I’ll miss it because of the atmosphere. The thing about it is you have a situation where everyone feels embraced. If we go someplace else, I’m not sure we’re going to have that atmosphere.”
Steve Arrison, the executive director for the Hot Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau, declined comment about whether the tournament is leaving Hot Springs, and he referred all questions to the Sun Belt Conference.
John McElwain, Sun Belt Conference Communications Director, said no announcement has been made about moving the tournament and said he wasn’t aware of any upcoming vote on future tournament sites.
The tournament has been held at Summit Arena in Hot Springs since 2009 when it hosted quarterfinals, semifinals and championship games for the men and women. Since 2010, it added first-round games using a second court in the adjacent Hot Springs Convention Center.
UALR Athletic Director Chris Peterson, who was in attendance at the luncheon Monday, told a member of the media that nothing has been finalized.
UALR’s women have advanced to the finals of the Sun Belt Tournament each year in Hot Springs, losing to Middle Tennessee in 2009 and 2010 and beating Western Kentucky in 2011 and Middle Tennessee in 2012, in making three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.
UALR’s men defeated North Texas in 2011 to make its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1990.
“Was it an advantage to UALR? You bet,” Peterson said.
Sports, Pages 19 on 02/05/2013