Trojans take it slow against Kangaroos

PETE PERKINS
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

Like melting ice, points trickled in for UALR. Except for a three-minute flow that was enough for a victory.
The Trojans stretched their lead from two to 13 points to start the second half, then held on for a 59-53 victory over the Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos before a crowd of 2,567 at Alltel Arena.
"Coach [Porter Moser] told us at halftime to stand up if we thought we had given it our best effort in the first half," UALR senior guard Alan Barksdale said. "We all just kind of ducked our heads."
UALR (7-3) had struggled against Missouri-Kansas City's matchup zone. First-year Coach Dean Demopoulos brought it with him from Temple, where he had been a John Chaney assistant for 17 seasons.
"I told the guys that if we were going to lose, let's go down swinging," Moser said. "Why be passive? They are active and smart in that zone. They match you up, and they make you play passive. Really, they did the whole game except for that run."
Freshman center Darius Eason started it with a three-point play to give UALR a 25-20 lead 30 seconds into the second half.
Sophomore point guard Alex Finger stole the ball from freshman guard Javin Tindall after the subsequent inbounds pass and passed to senior guard Laverne Smith for an open layup.
"That, to me, was the key to the game," Barksdale said. "That got everyone fired up."
"I just saw the ball loose, and went for it," Finger said. "We joke in practice about how Laverne is always the first one down on offense, so I knew he'd be there. I saw him in running the lane and I just flicked it to him."
"That's five points real fast," Moser said. "That really got us jump-started."
UALR's next three possessions were completed by a three-pointer from Finger, a rebound basket by senior forward Stan Blackmon, and a three-pointer from Smith to give the Trojans a 35-22 lead with 17:00 to play.
Missouri-Kansas City (5-8) closed to within 37-30 after junior forward Michael Jackson's baseline 10-footer at 13:12, but would not again pull as close until 1:52 remained.
It got closer at 1:14, when junior guard Matt Suther turned a steal into a layup to put Missouri-Kansas City within 55-50.
After Suther's shot, UALR maintained possession for the next 40 seconds.
Senior guard Alan Barksdale hit two free throws with 34.6 seconds left to give UALR a 57-50 lead.
Missouri-Kansas City was within 57-53 after Suther's three-pointer with 17.4 seconds left.
Barksdale led UALR with 16 points. Smith scored 13.
Freshman guard Michael Watson led Missouri-Kansas City with 15 points.
Much has changed since these teams last met.
When they played last season in Kansas City, Missouri-Kansas City took control early, handing UALR an 86-60 loss.
Blowout losses were common for UALR last season, which ended 4-24 under one-year Coach Sidney Moncrief. It was UALR's worst record since it moved to NCAA Division I in 1978.
Missouri-Kansas City finished 16-13, its best record since the 1991-92 season.
Both teams underwent unexpected coaching changes in the off-season. Moncrief resigned as UALR's coach, and was replaced by Moser. Bob Sundvold, Missouri-Kansas City's head coach for four seasons, was fired over what Missouri-Kansas City sports information director Geoff Hill called "philosophical differences" with Athletic Director Robert Thomas. He was replaced by Demopoulos.
UALR led through the game's first 17 minutes, by as much as 17-9 after a three-pointer by Barksdale at 4:21.
But Missouri-Kansas City scored the next 11 points, and was up 20-17 when Suther hit a three-pointer with 2:28 to play in the half.
Barksdale tied the score at 20 with his fourth three-pointer with 1:33 left. Finger gave UALR a 22-20 halftime lead with two free throws with 12.6 seconds left.

This article was published on Sunday, December 31, 2000

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