CONWAY, Ark. _  The new-look University of Central Arkansas Bears will open their season against old rival Hendrix on Tuesday night at the Farris Center.

The Bears are under the direction of head coach Clarence Finley, who was UCA's associate head coach the past three seasons. He and his three new assistants will field a team that features six returnees, at least for the first semester, and nine newcomers.

Two missing pieces of the puzzle are last year's second-leading scorer and All-Southland Conference selection, senior guard LaQuentin Miles, and sophomore forward Tirrell Brown. Both are academically ineligible for the first two months of the season.

With Miles' absence, UCA is missing all five of its top scorers from a year ago. The top statistical returnee is senior guard DeShone McClure of Jacksonville, who averaged 5.9 points and 1.8 rebounds in 29 games last season. Three other experienced guards return in senior Ryan Williams of Pine Bluff and juniors Oliver Wells of Cedar Hill, Texas, and Lenell Brown of Pine Bluff, while sophomore forward Daouda Berete started 10 games as a true freshman.

Two players are returning to the program in senior center Terry Tidwell of Conway and junior guard Aubrey Ball of Carrollton, Texas. Tidwell sat out the 2012-13 season while Ball played at Eerie Community College after beginning his career at UCA.

UCA cruised past Hendrix 108-65 in last year's meeting at the Farris Center. The Bears' defense forced 23 turnovers and scored 43 points off of them. UCA had seven players in double figures, led by Miles with 17. Williams had 14 points and McClure was 4 of 5 from three-point range for 12 points.

UCA made 12 of 22 from three-point range for 54.5 percent, and shot 55 percent from the field overall. Hendrix made 40 percent of its field goal attempts.

The Bears will hit the road this weekend to take on SIU-Edwardsville on Saturday in Edwardsville, Ill., and then return home next Wednesday to face Louisiana Tech at 7 p.m. at the Farris Center.