LAFAYETTE, La. -- The UALR men's basketball team's sprint to the top of the Sun Belt Conference standings was powered by its league-best defense.
Two days after a loss rooted in the Trojans' diversion from that identity, they returned to it in keeping first place all to themselves.
UALR held Louisiana-Lafayette to one of its worst offensive games of the season and then withstood a late-game surge in a 68-64 victory Saturday at the Cajundome, which both snapped the Ragin' Cajuns' nine-game winning streak and handed them their first home loss of the season.
It came two days after UALR's 86-82 loss at Louisiana-Monroe that trimmed the Trojans' league lead to one game over Louisiana-Lafayette. But the Trojans (22-3, 12-2) didn't let the Ragin' Cajuns (16-9, 10-4) pull into a first-place tie by holding them to 49 field-goal attempts, their lowest total of the season, and to 3 for 19 three-point shooting.
"We just tried to get back to who we are," said senior guard Josh Hagins, who had 18 points. "We're Little Rock. We play good defense, we play sound offensively and we just play to win."
The change of attitude was set in a Friday practice in which Coach Chris Beard said he "tested these guys' manhoods." It came after Thursday's loss, in which Louisiana-Monroe scored more points and shot a better percentage than any UALR opponent this season.
The efforts to refocus seemed to work as the Trojans prevented the Ragin' Cajuns, who entered averaging a league-best 82.1 points per game, from getting the ball to their best player, Shawn Long, or make consistent shots from outside. Long, the preseason Sun Belt player of the year, had 12 points and 12 rebounds.
UALR's Roger Woods had 14 points, including two free throws with 14.2 seconds left after the Ragin' Cajuns had gotten within 65-64, and his tipped ball halted the Cajuns' last effort for victory. Jermaine Ruttley had nine points and Mareik Isom had sevenfor the Trojans.
"I don't know if we're the sexiest team in the country, and I don't know if we have any first-round draft picks," Beard said. "But what we do have is guys who lay it on the line every night for Little Rock. They play with each other, they're coachable, they're tough."
They're also still in first place and have clinched a spot in next month's Sun Belt Tournament after holding off Louisiana-Lafayette's late charge. UALR's 59-46 lead with 6:48 left was trimmed to 65-64 with 27 seconds left.
The Ragin' Cajuns' Steven Wronkoski made three-pointers on consecutive possessions and Bryce Washington's basket inside made it 63-56 with 2:33 left.
Hagins put UALR up 65-56 with a jumper from the baseline with 2:06 left, but that was UALR's last field goal. Johnathan Stove and Long combined for six points to get within 65-62 with 32.9 seconds left, then Lis Shoshi's errant pass was stolen by Jay Wright, who got it to Elijah McGuire for an easy basket to make it 65-64.
After Woods was fouled, he made two free throws with 14.2 seconds left before making the final stop. Woods batted the ball away from Stove, and Hayward Register's errant three-pointer was rebounded by the Trojans to seal the game.
"I knew they were trying to drive me and get me to foul so they can stop the clock. I just wanted to stay solid and make a play on the ball," Woods said. "Everybody has a run. We try to stay together and just find a way to end the game."
The victory gave UALR a season-sweep over Louisiana-Lafayette, which was 4 for 24 on three-pointers in UALR's 77-57 victory Jan. 7 in Little Rock.
"We'll make them next time. We'll get them again," Ragin' Cajuns Coach Bob Marlin said. "We got some pretty good looks, we just didn't make them. I don't think that's defense, but they are a good defensive team."
While shots from the outside weren't falling, UALR was preventing Louisiana-Lafayette from going inside, too. Long, considered an NBA prospect, had 10 points in the first half.
With help from forward Daniel Green, who played a season-high 18 minutes, the Trojans made Long a nonfactor in the second half. The senior took only two shots after halftime and didn't score until a tip in with 1:15 left.
Beard said it was a team effort in defending Long, as was everything else for the Trojans, who avoided losing consecutive games for the first time this season.
"Our identity all year long is depth and balance," Beard said. "Tonight, when we most needed it, we had individual players step up. That's what we are."
Sports on 02/14/2016