CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears shot a solid 55.9 percent from the field in the second half Saturday, but the Lamar Cardinals were even better. The red-hot Cardinals shot a blistering 82.8 percent in the second half and won 92-78 in Southland Conference play at the Farris Center.
Two weeks after losing by 36 points at Beaumont, Texas, the Bears hung with the Cardinals for most of the game Saturday. But Lamar got hot and rolled up 62 points after halftime to win the season series and break UCA’s two-game winning streak in conference play.
“I thought we saw some good things from our team, the way we competed early in the game,’ said UCA head coach Corliss Williamson. “We tried to fight and stay in there. Unfortunately, Lamar, with their tough guards, it’s difficult to keep them out of the game, especially after they lose two in a row. But I was proud of our guys’ effort and I’m looking forward to seeing us come back on Monday ready to practice.’
Despite shooting just 33 percent from the field in the first half, the Bears were within 30-29 at halftime. UCA led by as much as eight points, 17-9, early in the half when Robert Crawford made a jumper from the baseline. The Cardinals scored the next seven points and eventually took the lead at 24-23 at the 7:00 mark.
The Bears (7-10, 2-3) hung around early in the second half and led as late as the 14:44 mark before the Cardinals took over. Lamar, which had lost consecutive SLC games to McNeese State and UT Arlington, used a 13-4 run to push the lead to 18 points with 3:44 to play. The Bears would get no closer than 14 the rest of the way as the Cardinals made enough of their free throws to keep the margin safe.
“We always talk about their guards and how well they score the ball,’ said Williamson. “You have to be aware of them at all times. And you can’t foul them because the shoot free throws well. They have the ability to push the ball in transition and score a lot of baskets. We just didn’t do a good job of containing them, especially in the second half.’
Lamar guards Anthony Miles and Mike James had 22 and 16 points, respectively, and forward Charlie Harper added 22 points. For the game, the Cardinals shot 58.3 percent from the field. UCA held them to just 3 of 10 from three-point range after Lamar made 10 threes in the first meeting.
UCA junior Robert Crawford continued his solid play with a team-high 18 points, including 4 of 7 from three-point range. Sophomore guard LaQuentin Miles scored 16 and senior guard Mark Rutledge added 10 points. Junior center Anthony Borden had 8 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocked shots before fouling out. UCA also lost junior center Terry Tidwell late in the game to an ankle injury.
“Anthony is definitely playing with a lot more energy and he’s trying to compete a little harder on the floor,’ said Williamson. “That’s what we need from him. He’s continually getting better, and if he can keep that effort up, and continue the progress in those areas, he’s going to be a special player for us.’
Even though the loss broke a two-game winning streak for the Bears, but Williamson was still encouraged by the effort.
“We talked about that yesterday and today,’ he said. “I told them, at some point in time in this game, things are going to go bad. It’s how we respond that is going to tell us how much this team has grown over the course of the season. And you know, we stuck together. We kept pulling for one another and kept believing and kept trying, and that’s all we can ask for.
“Like I told them, come Monday, that’s going to tell the true character of our team. If we come in here and are ready to practice like we have the past week or so, then I know our team has truly made some progress and we’ll be OK.’
The Bears hit the road for consecutive games next week, playing at Southeastern Louisiana on Wednesday and McNeese State on Sunday.
