SUN BELT MEN

Neighbour bounces back in big way

1/29/14
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/STEPHEN B. THORNTON 
UALR's Mareik Isom, left, and Will Neighbour, right, pressure Louisiana-Lafayette's J.J. Davenport during the second half of their game against Louisiana-Lafayette at the Jack Stephens Center.
1/29/14 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/STEPHEN B. THORNTON UALR's Mareik Isom, left, and Will Neighbour, right, pressure Louisiana-Lafayette's J.J. Davenport during the second half of their game against Louisiana-Lafayette at the Jack Stephens Center.

Steve Shields watched intently all week the practice habits of Will Neighbour, trying to see how long the worst game of his leading scorer’s career would keep him down.

It didn’t take long Thursday for the UALR coach to realize that Neighbour had put a one-point outing five days ago behind him completely.

Neighbour made his first shot from the floor just over five minutes in, then helped UALR rally from an early 10-point deficit to claw out an 80-69 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette in front of an announced crowd of 3,412 at the Jack Stephens Center.

Neighbour finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds while becoming the 19th UALR player to score 1,000 career points, which followed a game in which he missed all 12 shots from the floor while being held to one point in Saturday’s loss at Arkansas State.

“It just doesn’t come down to me,” Neighbour said. “It comes down to my teammates as well. They helped me turn the page. In practice, they have my back. They believed in me as well.”

Shields said Thursday that he called Neighbour late Saturday night to encourage him after the disappointing showing, then watched him practice timidly on Monday before looking like his usual self by Wednesday.

Shields was sure when Neighbour scored inside for his first basket, and later watched him make two free throws following a technical foul called on Louisiana-Lafayette Coach Bob Marlin with 13:52 left in the game.

The Ragin’ Cajuns, who were playing without leading scorer Shawn Long because of a suspension, led 55-49 at the time, but UALR outscored them 31-14 after the technical, which was called after Marlin argued UALR didn’t have possession of the ball to calla timeout.

“My whole point to Will was, ‘That’s one game. You’re having a great season,’ ” Shields said. “You’ve got to handle some adversity, and I think he did.”

UALR (11-10, 6-3 Sun Belt Conference) handled adversity as a team Thursday night.

Xavian Rimmer made three-pointers from three different spots in the game’s first four minutes to help Louisiana-Lafayette (12-9, 3-5) take a 16-6 lead.

But, unlike Saturday’s loss, UALR scratched back from the early deficit. The Trojans got within 23-18 on Josh Hagins’ driving layup with 10:30 left, and later took a 34-33 lead on two Neighbour free throws and the game was tied 39-39 at halftime.

The Ragin’ Cajuns, who have lost three in a row, then went on an 8-0 run to go up 55-49, but after Neighbour’s three-point play with 10:19 left gave UALR a 60-59 lead, it never gave up the lead.

“We were able to turn the page today,” Hagins said. “After the first five minutes, we decided we were going to step it up and play and that’s what we did.”

Hagins finished with 14 points, Dillard had 11 and all 10 Trojans scored while shooting 47.2 percent from the floor.

UALR made 27 of 35 free throws and scored 36 points in the paint.

“It’s not our makeup to have guys that really drive the ball hard,” Shields said. “We’ve got a couple of guys that that’s their DNA, but that’s not the makeup of our entire team.”

Elfrid Payton, who is third in the Sun Belt in scoring, finished with 20 points for the Ragin’ Cajuns, and forward J.J. Davenport had 14 points and 11 rebounds. But it wasn’t enough to make up for the absence of Long, who averages 20.2 points and 10.9 rebounds.

Marlin said Long, who traveled and dressed, was suspended for “conduct detrimental to the team.” He said his team could have used his production, but also noted missing their final 13 three-pointers and being held to 37.7 percent shooting.

“We couldn’t make shots,” he said. “They don’t shoot any better than us, but they got to the basket and shot a great percentage in the second half.”LOUISIANA-MONROE 72, ARKANSAS STATE 65

Tylor Ongwae scored 17 points and Marvin Williams added 16 as Louisiana-Monroe (7-9, 4-4 Sun Belt) beat Arkansas State (11-8, 4-4) at Fant-Ewing Coliseum in Monroe, La. on Thursday night.

Louisiana-Monroe used an 8-2 run to pull ahead in the second half and led 59-49 after a 7-0 run that was capped by a dunk by Williams. The Red Wolves pulled to within five on a three-pointer by Ed Townsel but couldn’t get any closer.

Melvin Johnson III led the Red Wolves with 27 points.

Kirk Van Slyke finished with 15.

THURSDAY’S GAMES UALR 80, La.-Lafayette 69 La.-Monroe 72, Arkansas State 65 W. Kentucky 77, Texas-Arlington 72 S. Alabama at Georgia St., ppd. weather SATURDAY’S GAMES All times Central UALR at South Alabama, 4:05 p.m.

Texas State at W. Kentucky, 7 p.m.

La.-Monroe at La.-Lafayette, 7:15 p.m.

Arkansas State at Troy, 7:30 p.m.

Georgia St. at Texas-Arlington, 7:30 p.m.

Sports, Pages 22 on 01/31/2014

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