CONWAY, Ark. _ Freshman Jordan Howard and junior Jake Zuilhof combined for 38 points and 11 rebounds to lift the University of Central Arkansas Bears to a 91-71 exhibition victory over the University of the Ozarks Eagles on Saturday night at the Farris Center.

    Howard, from Chandler, Ariz., scored 20 points on 7 of 12 shooting, while Zuilhof, from Azle, Texas, made 7 of 11 from the field and scored 18 points. The Bears shot 55.9 percent from the field for the game, including 10 of 22 from three-point range. Howard was 5 of 8 from beyond the arc, while freshman Thatch Unruh was 3 for 8.

    "With a young team like this, every situation is new to them,' said first-year head coach Russ Pennell. "They played a lot of zone against us tonight, and I thought they sped us up. And we played about like I thought we would against something different.

    "I thought the good news was we were competitive throughout the game. We really didn't hang out heads too much. We made a lot of silly mistakes, things that we will have to clean up, but I honestly believe this is going to be the bad side of this team. That you see this from time to time. And then they'll be other stretches where you say, wow, they look pretty good.'

    One of those stretches was the first half when the Bears led 51-30 at the break after shooting 55.9 percent from the field and holding the Eagles to just 34.5 percent. UCA fell behind 10-4 to open the game, but then outsocred Ozarks 47-20 the rest of the half. 

    "I thought our effort was good,' said Pennell. "And I really thought our defense was pretty good, except for fouling too much. You hold someone to 37 percent, that's pretty good. The second half, I thought we got a little too close to our man and started fouling with our hands a little bit. And with the emphasis on that with the officiating, that bit us.

    "I think we'll be OK in time, but it's just a process that we have to go through game by game.'
    
    Senior Ted Beard topped the Eagles with a game-high 31 pionts, hitting 10 of 16 from the field and 9 of 15 from the free-throw line. The Tyler, Texas, guard also had a game-high 11 rebounds. Ozarks shot 36.9 percent from the field for the game and closed the final rebound gap to 45-36.

    UCA opens the regular season next Friday at Creighton. The Bears will also play Nebraska-Omaha and Nebraska on the three-game road trip.