Junior guard Ben Dillard was in UALR’s starting lineup for the first time this season, and he took advantage of the opportunity.
Nine of Dillard’s 13 points came in the game’s first eight minutes, and sophomore James White made all seven of his shots from the floor to help the Trojans to an 88-68 victory over Grambling State in front of an announced crowd of 2,813 at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock on Monday night.
Dillard’s start came in place of sophomore JoshHagins, who had started 10 of UALR’s 11 games before Monday, and it was Dillard’s first since Feb. 23 of last season.
“Nothing really changes,” said Dillard, who started 20 times in his first two seasons. “I try to keep the same mindset every time I step on the floor, just go hard, and help my teammates.”
Dillard helped UALR out of an early-game funk on its way to a season-high shooting percentage (59.6) in its final nonconference game.
Dillard’s basket off a steal for UALR’s first points came after the Trojans turned it over on their first two possessions and histhree-pointer with 15:37 left in the first half started a 13-3 run that gave them control of the Tigers (1-8), whose only victory the past two seasons came Dec. 16 against Central Baptist College.
Dillard later added two free throws when UALR outscored Grambling 13-2 to start the second half and lead 52-25 with 15:54 to go.
UALR Coach Steve Shields said the decision to start Dillard was based on how he practiced this week after two games in the British Virgin Islands last week, including a game against Jacksonville State in which he scored 18 points in 13 minutes.
“I thought he let the game come to him,” Shields said of Dillard’s performance Monday.
“I didn’t think he was forcing anything early. … His teammates found him, the ball moved, he happened to be the open man.”
UALR was sluggish early, playing its first game in more than a week and its first at home in 27 days, turning the ball over four times in the game’s first four minutes.
The last turnover led to a long jumper by Terry Rose in the corner that gave Grambling State a 7-4 lead with 16:00 to go in the first half and prompted a Shields timeout.
“Just value the ball,” said White, who had a team-high 16 points on 7 of 7 shooting. “You’ve got to value each possession.” Dillard made a three from the top of the key out of the timeout, Will Neighbour scored inside, then White made a putback to put the Trojans up 11-7. The lead grew to 17-10 with 11:32 left and 39-23 at halftime as the Trojans made 14 of 20 shots from the floor.
The score was 64-32 with 12:17 left in the second half, and it allowed Shields to unload his bench for one of the few times this season. Neighbour added 15 points and nine rebounds for the Trojans, who open their Sun Belt Conference schedule on Thursday at Texas State.
Eleven Trojans played nine minutes or more and the 12 UALR players who saw court time scored. “You want a game like this where you can go deep in your bench,” Shields said.
“We haven’t had the opportunity to play as many guys as we’ve liked. … You can do all you want in practice but the true experience comes from game experience.”
Sports, Pages 15 on 12/31/2013