From 2006-2008, guard Nate Bowie and forward Durrell Nevels led the University of Central Arkansas men's basketball program to the most successful stretch of its Division I reclassification period – falling just short of a .500 season in 2007-08 with a 14-16 record and getting 10 wins in the Bears' first year of D-I play in '06-'07, including wins over Bowling Green and Bucknell, which had scored wins over Kansas and Arkansas in the previous two NCAA tournaments.

All-Southland Conference performers during their time at UCA, Bowie led the league in scoring his senior season at 17.5 points per game and Nevels nearly averaged a double-double for his career as a Bear while ranking among the national leaders in blocked shots.

And while the team's overall success level was moderate, it seemed a good start for a program in its first years of Division I athletics. But there was no championship, and – regardless of how the team fared on the court – no possibility of postseason play due to NCAA rules for transitioning teams.

Now, three years later, Bowie and Nevels have achieved what they could not in Conway.

Teammates once again, now in Portugal, the duo carried their 6th-seeded Terceira Basket team to the Proliga championship last week, upsetting top-seeded Barcelos three games to two in the best-of-five series last week to cap a 9-2 run through the playoffs that also included an upset of the third-seeded team in the opening series.

"When I entered the playoffs, I only wanted one thing – to hold that trophy tight and never let go of it," said Bowie, who averaged 19.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.5 steals during the series. "I never expected that we would go this far. I always knew we would make the playoffs, but didn't imagine we'd be holding the trophy high and kissing it."


That looked like a long shot in the beginning of the series, as Barcelos won the first two games and needed to win just one of the final three to close out Terceira. But Bowie, Nevels and company bounced back to win the next two games on their home floor to force the decisive fifth game.

"Starting out with two losses didn't really affect our team," Bowie said. "We knew it would be hard winning on the road, although we were 6-0 in the playoffs at that time. Our goal was to try to steal one game away. I think being at home for Games 3 and 4 helped us get back on track and really tune in on what we needed to do."

On their opponent's home floor for the final game, Terceira outscored Barcelos 23-8 in the second quarter, led by 13 at halftime and held on for a 68-61 win to claim the championship. Nevels, who was named series MVP, had 14 points and 19 rebounds in the final contest. For the series he averaged 19.8 points, 14.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game.

"It felt great playing with a player that I was used to for years," Bowie said of Nevels. "Our team chemistry was that much greater because of it. It helped us throughout the season because we knew each other's pros and cons and what we would or wouldn't do. The turning point of this long, grueling season, to me, was when Durrell Nevels stepped foot on the court wearing a Terceira jersey. I feel that he brought the key factors that we as a team needed."


Bowie closed out the series with 20 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists in the championship-clinching victory. And while he entered the game with high hopes, it wasn't until long afterward that he fully appreciated what his team had done.

"When we got to Game 5, I knew that being No. 2 wasn't good enough and that I wanted that trophy regardless of what it took," he said. "I looked around the locker room before the game and found a peaceful corner for me to pray and thank God for my blessings. You can beat a team by 20 in Game 4, but in Game 5 it doesn't matter. As we got to the end and the seconds were ticking down until the clock read 00:00, I was very happy. But at that moment it seemed like just another game. I was more happy as we traveled back to the island, because I had time to think about all that we as a team accomplished."

That they were able to make the finals, much less close it out on the road, was a daunting task considering the travel for Terceira. Terceira Island is located in the Archipelago of the Azores – a series of nine islands in the Atlantic Ocean – more than 950 miles west of the capital city of Lisbon (approximately the same distance from Conway to Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada). The team had to travel to and from the mainland over the course of the season, a process that wore on the team.

"I think the toughest obstacle was the travel," Bowie said. "With every away game being on the mainland, it made it hard on our bodies and it gives our opponents an advantage. Most teams only travel an hour or two to play their games. We would fly in and then have to drive and it took its toll."

But it wasn't enough to keep Terceira and its players from claiming not only the championship, but many of the league's awards.

Bowie, who led the league in scoring by nearly eight points per game with an average of 25.6, was named Proliga's Player of the Year, Guard of the Year, Import Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. Nevels, who led Proliga in rebounding (13.8 per game) and blocks (3.0 per game) and finished third in scoring (17.7), was named Forward of the Year and named All-Defensive First Team. They were also both named First Team All-Proliga, All-Import and All-Newcomer.

"To be named Guard and Import Player of the Year felt good," Bowie said. "It also meant a lot to me to get the Newcomer of the Year, because there are so many new players that enter the league each year. But what really made me happy was to be named Player of the Year. It reminded me of all the ups and downs – the roller coaster ride that led me here wasn't forgotten. And it says I'm not just the best foreign player in the league, but the best overall. That's a really good feeling and a huge accomplishment."

Given the number of pro leagues and playing opportunities at various levels all around the globe, there's no absolute guarantee that Bowie will be with the team next season to seek out a second straight championship. But he wouldn't at all be opposed to returning to the 150-square mile island that nearly 56,000 people call home.

"I can't pinpoint my future right now, but I like to keep my options open," he said. "I would like to come back if God's willing. Playing here for a year, I know everything about this team and this island. Anything is possible, but right now the only thing I'm thinking about is going home to see my family and friends and my newborn niece. After a few weeks go by, I'll focus on my future."