BEAUMONT, Texas _ An ugly first half was more than the University of Central Arkansas Bears could overcome on Saturday night in an 84-65 loss to the Lamar Cardinals in Southland Conference action at the Montagne Center.

    The Bears had 13 first-half turnovers that put them in a huge halftime hole, trailing 52-29. UCA shot 50 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes but the Cardinals hit at a 61.1 percent clip, including 5 of 12 from three-point range. Lamar scored 20 points off UCA's turnovers and got 25 points from its bench.

    The Bears (0-14, 0-3) came back and outscored the Cardinals 36-32 in the second half, outshooting and outrebounding Lamar. over the final 20 minutes.

    "I told the guys in the locker room, if you can beat a team one half, you can beat them two halves,' said UCA head coach Russ Pennell. " That first half was an embarrassment. We did so many things wrong in that half. We weren't ready to play. That's no way to play. All you're asking of a scholarship kid is they give all they have. I was very disappointed.

    "I told them, part of being a great athlete is having heart. And I thought the second half we showed heart, we showed some fight.'

    The brightest spot for the young Bears was sophomore forward Ethan Lee, the lone returnee from last year's team who came off the bench for 20 minutes and had season highs of 12 points and 7 rebounds. 

    "Ethan did a nice job,' said Pennell. "I'm happy for him. He's kind of been waiting his turn and he did a nice job with the minutes he had. I love the seven rebounds, and 12 points is obviously very good as well.'

    The Cardinals (8-7, 2-1), coming off an emotional loss to New Orleans, pushed their lead to as much as 27 points early in the second half before the Bears fought back. UCA got as close as 16 points on Mathieu Kamba's free throw. The Bears shot 46.2 percent from the field in the second half and hit 10 of 14 from the free-throw line. For the game, UCA hit 17 of 23 from the line for 73.9 percent.

    "It's been the other way, too,' said Pennell. "Against Arkansas State, it was the second half we didn't play well. I think it's more attention to detail. I have to believe it's just things like, it's the first time you've been to Lamar, they're trapping all over the place... it short-circuits (the players) on the things they do know. 

    "And then we don't ever go to the bench and bring someone that is a stabilizer. Mike Martin has been becoming that guy, and I thought he and Jake (Zuilhof) were pretty consistent.'

    Martin, who was battling a stomach issue, finished with a team-high 14 points and 6 assists but was just 3 of 14 from the field. Jordan Howard had 13 points and 4 assists, while Kamba was 4 of 4 from the field and added 10 points. Zjori Bosha made 5 of 8 from three-point range to lead Lamar with 19 points. 

    UCA returns home for a Tuesday night matchup with defending SLC champion Stephen F. Austin at 7 p.m. at the Farris Center.