CONWAY, Ark. _  Northwestern State's Jalan West scored 28 points and the Demons made 31 of 37 at the free-throw line to beat the University of Central Arkansas Bears 76-68 in Southland Conference play on Thursday night at the Farris Center.

UCA senior guard LaQuentin Miles became the 21st player in UCA history to score 1,000 career points, finishing with a team-high 23 points. He is the first to reach that milestone since Marcus Pillow in 2009. However, the Bears shot just 36.4 percent from the field and 53.8 percent (14 of 26) from the free-throw line.

The Bears (4-13, 1-5) were as close as one point at 57-56 on a jumper by Miles with nine minutes left. But the Demons (6-11, 2-4), the preseason SLC favorites, connected on 12 of 13 free throws from there to pull away down the stretch.

Northwestern State entered the game as the top-scoring team in the conference, averaging 87.8 points. UCA's defense held the Demons nearly 12 points below their average, but West and senior forward DeQuan Hicks (17 points, 11 rebounds) were too much for the Bears. The Demons, the worst three-point shooting team in the league, made 7 of 11 from beyond the arc (63.6).

UCA trailed 39-31 after shooting just 32 percent from the field. The Bears got right back in it quickly but could never grab a lead. A free throw by sophomore Daouda Berete cut the deficit to three points at the 16:09 mark, and a pair of free throws by freshman Ethan Lee made it 44-42 at the 14:00 mark.

But the Demons made 24 trips to the free-throw line in the second half and made 20 (83.3 percent) to hand the Bears their fourth straight loss.  UCA outrebounded Northwestern State 40-39, pulling down 18 offensive boards. Berete tied his career high with 9 rebounds and had a career-best 4 assists, while Miles added 8 reb ounds.

The Bears continue their homestand with a 4 p.m. tipoff against league-leader Stephen F. Austin on Saturday. The Lumberjacks (17-2, 6-0) beat Oral Roberts 72-69 on the road Thursday night.