CONWAY, Ark. _ If the University of Central Arkansas Bears are to make it three consecutive victories on Saturday, they are going to have to do it against a team they have never beaten.
The Lamar Cardinals come to town having already beaten the Bears (7-9, 2-2) once this season, by a score of 103-67 back on Jan. 7 in Beaumont, Texas. The Cardinals, under the direction of Pat Knight, son of legendary coach Bobby Knight, have never lost to the Bears in nine attempts.
“We know it’s going to be a tough game,’ said UCA head coach Corliss Williamson. “Lamar is Lamar. They are going to come in shoot the ball well, they are going to push it in transition and they are going to run their motion offense. We have to be able to come in and play our style of basketball, and be effective with it and take good shots.
“If we can do that, we’ll have an opportunity to compete.’
The Bears are playing considerably better than they were two weeks ago, having won two consecutive Southland Conference games for the first time since the final two games of the 2006-07 season. In those two victories, UCA averaged 88 points, shot a combined 49.6 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from three-point range.
“Our guys are definitely playing a lot better now,’ said Williamson. “Everyone is totally committed to what we’re trying to do, which is the difference in the two wins and the two losses we have in conference play.’
In the first Lamar game, the Cardinals turned a 14-point halftime lead into a blowout with red-hot second-half shooting. Lamar shot 68.8 percent overall, 100 percent (7 of 7) from three-point range and 87.5 percent (7 of 8) from the free-throw line in the second half. Since then, the Cardinals (11-7, 2-2) have lost consecutive games to McNeese State and UT Arlington.
UCA had five players score in double figures Wednesday night in a 99-76 victory over Nicholls, led by sophomore LaQuentin Miles with 19 points. He added 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season.
Junior Robert Crawford and freshman Carlin Bremner continued with the hot hand from three-point range as the Bears tied their season high with 10 threes. Crawford was 4 for 6 and Bremner was 3 for 5. Over the past six games, Crawford has shot 15 of 25 (60 percent) from beyond the arc. Bremner is 8 for 12 in the past two games.
“As the young guys say, Carlin in playing with a little swagger,’ said Williamson. “We’re excited for Carlin, to have him for four years and to watch him mature and get better throughout his career is exciting.
“And Robert struggled early in the season but now he’s come on with his shot and had a career-high 19 the other night. If we can continue to get these guys to be consistent with their shooting, as well as the rest of the guys, we can do some things.’
UCA has moved to No. 5 in the conference in three-point percentage at 32.9 percent.
Lamar is led by guard Mike James, who is third in the SLC in scoring (16.3), one spot behind UCA’s Miles (16.5). James also leads the league in free-throw shooting at 83.3 percent.
Tipoff is approximately 4 p.m., following the Sugar Bears’ game with Lamar, which begins at 2 p.m.
