UALR struggled to defend again on Sunday in Las Vegas, and its guards couldn't carry the offense in its fourth consecutive loss.
Wisconsin-Green Bay shot 58 percent from the floor and held UALR to 35 percent shooting in handing it a 66-46 loss at the South Point Hoops Holiday Classic at South Point Arena.
The Trojans entered the game giving up more than 74 points per game, the most among Sun Belt teams. But while most of their struggles have been guarding the perimeter, the Phoenix went down low for easy shots during much of Sunday.
Jordan Fouse had 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting, Alfonzo McKinnie had 16 on 7-of-9 shooting and 10 rebounds and Carrington Love had 13 for the Phoenix, who made 26 of 45 shots from the field.
UALR did stop Wisconsin-Green Bay guard Keifer Sykes, who entered the game averaging 18.5 points per game. Sykes was held scoreless in the first half and finished with a season-low five points on 1 of 5 shooting.
UALR's guards couldn't take advantage of Sykes' slow game, though.
Josh Hagins was 2 of 9 from the floor and finished with 4 points; J.T. Thomas was 0 of 8 and Ben Dillard was 0 of 2. The three were a combined 0 for 12 from three-point range, and the Trojans were 4 of 21 on threes for the game.
Roger Woods finished with 18 points and 8 rebounds, and James Reid made 3 of 8 three-pointers to finish with 14 points. UALR's next-highest scorers were Hagins and James White, who each had 4 points.
UALR (4-5), which has lost four consecutive nonconference games for the second time since Steve Shields became coach in 2003, got into a hole early Sunday and responded with only a couple of spurts.
Wisconsin-Green Bay (9-2) took a 16-9 lead with 11:43 left in the first half. UALR scored the next seven points to tie it at 16-16, and then took an 18-17 lead on a White dunk with 9:04 left. UALR led again less than four minutes later on a Woods three-point play that made it 25-24 with 5:48 left.
But Love's three-pointer gave Wisconsin-Green Bay a lead again, and UALR never got it back.
The Trojans trailed 33-29 at halftime and the Phoenix started the second half with a 15-2 run. UALR got within 53-44 with 7:36 left, but Wisconsin-Green Bay finished the game on a 13-2 run.
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SOUTHLAND MEN
COASTAL CAROLINA 72,
CENTRAL ARKANSAS 55
CONWAY -- Central Arkansas was 20 minutes from its first victory of the season, then Coastal Carolina shot 50 percent in the second half while pulling away for a victory at the Farris Center on Sunday.
UCA (0-10) made 11 of 24 shots and held Coastal Carolina to 10 of 30 shooting while taking a 27-26 lead in the second half. but the Chanticleers, made 15 of 30 shots and 13 of 16 free throws in the second half, while the Bears shot 9 of 30 from the floor in the second.
Jordan Howard led the Bears with 15 points and Jake Zuilhof had 12.
Warren Gillis led Coastal Carolina (9-3) with 17 points, while Badou Diagne had 17 and Elijah Wilson had 11.
UCA led 32-28 with less than 17 minutes to play, but Coastal Carolina outscored UCA 10-0 to make it 38-32 with 13:50 left, led 45-35 two minutes later and never gave the lead back.
Sports on 12/22/2014