UALR Coach Steve Shields walked hurriedly off the court at the Jack Stephens Center on Thursday night, head pointed toward the floor just moments after watching his team's poor end to the first half.
UALR was within 23-21 of Troy with 5:30 left, but it allowed points on five of its final seven possessions and went into halftime trailing 34-25. The Trojans discovered a flash of much-needed energy to start the second half, which propelled them to a 17-2 run on their way to a 73-65 victory.
The comeback victory didn't alter UALR's fortunes much. The Trojans (7-11, 2-6) still enter tonight's home game against Texas-Arlington (11-7, 5-3) tied with Troy for last place in the Sun Belt.
But with 12 games remaining, UALR's path from the Sun Belt cellar to earning a top-eight finish and a berth to the Sun Belt Tournament seems clear: Play with a level of energy and watch the shots fall and the stops come.
Of course, that's easier said than done. When those shots don't fall and the stops don't come, the Trojans fall into a hole that's difficult to dig out of.
"You hope it comes from within, for the most part," Shields said. "That's what your pride yourself on, is on the defensive end and having those constants. Unfortunately at times, I feel like we have some lulls."
UALR has shown the ability to play with such energy. The Trojans shot 54.8 percent in the second half Thursday in outscoring Troy 48-31 after halftime. Shields also saw it Jan. 19 when UALR jumped out to a 12-3 lead in an eventual loss at South Alabama, and the Trojans started a Dec. 22 victory over Bradley on a 14-5 run.
Maintaining those levels remains UALR's biggest obstacle.
"You try different things," senior guard Ben Dillard said. "It's pulling straws as far as pregame rituals, as far as how we want to come out before warm-ups. It's just us captains talking among our team and just constant reminders that we have to keep it all for 40 minutes."
Dillard made a jumper and two three-pointers in the first six minutes of Thursday night's second half as UALR took over the game. It happened after Shields inserted guard DeVonte Smith into the lineup. It was Smith's quickness that Troy Coach Phil Cunningham identified as the difference in the game.
"You're either a positive energy giver or a taker," Shields said. "You want to be a giver."
UALR might have played the whole game with such energy if Smith had been available, but he was suspended for the first half after being late to a Wednesday weightlifting session. Shields said Friday that starting Smith, who has 32 assists to 13 turnovers, and J.T. Thomas, who has started 16 games, is an option at point guard.
"It's one thing to maybe have a little bit of a lull from a practice standpoint, but from a game standpoint, that's got to be a constant," Shields said. "If we play the right way, defend, rebound and have good ball movement, a lot can change in a week's time."
Sports on 01/24/2015