Thursday evening, RPI #258 App State (9-12, 6-6 SunBelt) faces RPI #301 Arkansas-Little Rock (9-14, 4-9 SunBelt) in a 7:30 PM contest at HCC. The Apps will be looking for their fourth straight home win. The Spartans will be looking to put two straight wins together. The Spartans are coming off a 69-61 home win over Texas State on Saturday; while the Apps are coming off a 65-62 home win over Troy.

This will be no gimmee, because UALR pounded the Apps in the paint for a 64-46 win in Little Rock last month. Since then, the Apps have become a much better team; and UALR has lost 6-8 forward James White for the season. Still, the Apps will have to stop 6-5 Roger Woods in the paint and clamp down the defense on Spartan guard Josh Hagins.

On last night's radio broadcast, Mountaineer Talk, DJ and Coach Fox spent a lot of time in good-natured banter over a bowl of banana pudding that someone made for Coach Fox. Seems that's a Southern delicacy not on many menus of NYC or Long Island restaurants or delis. Anyway, Coach Fox signed off air last night with a big bowl of the fine pudding that he didn't plan to share.

There was little talk of Thursday night's game with ULAR. I wouldn't go so far as to say that our coaching staff is taking the 10th place Spartans lightly, but there did seem to be a quiet confidence about the game; even though the lowly Spartans did defeat the Apps handily in Little Rock early in the season.

The numbers have the Apps as the favorites in a reasonably close game. Predicted snowy, windy conditions and single-digit temps could have the visitors a little off their game.

37 37 at half

A very poor performance thus far. Down 7 with 5 to go against the last place team on our home floor. If the Trojans win this 40% of their 5 conference wins will come against the Apps. The schedule gets brutal from here against upper division opponents, thus a win tonight was almost a necessity for us to have hopes of a .500 conference record.

Defensive effort is just not there, can't stop the drive to the basket.

No other way than to say that this was a pitiful effort tonight. We panicked down the stretch and took some really ill advised shots and on the other end, we once again could not stop the opposition. We continue to be worst team in the SBC in terms of FG defense.

UALR shoots 41% from the floor, 9th in the conference (we are last BTW) and shoots 58% against us tonight. That certainly doesn't help our league worst percentage defense.

Yeah, Jerry, that was a pitiful performance. We've managed to lose twice to what a week ago would have been considered the worst team in the league. To add to the misery, UALR was playing w/o one of their best post players--James White.

Our guys have played some ugly basketball in the last three games.

Stunk it up!!! Division I basketball with overall division II team effort.