STILLWATER, Okla. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears put a scare into the Oklahoma State Cowboys with a furious second-half comeback before falling 102-90 on Monday night at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

    After falling behind 15-4 in the opening four minutes, the Bears (0-2) cut their deficit to just one point at 63-62 on a Jordan Howard three-pointer with 11:57 to play in the game. But the Cowboys (2-0) found their range down the stretch and eventually subdued the Bears in front of a crowd of 4,911.

    UCA junior guard Jordan Howard led a trio of Bears who kept the Bears in the game. Howard scored 28 points, hitting 4 of 5 from three-point range and 10 of 11 from the free-throw line. Junior guard Mathieu Kamba had 19 points (7 of 12 from the field) and 10 rebounds, while senior guard Derreck Brooks scored 17 points.

    "First of all, I'm really proud of the guys, I'm proud of the effort they put forth,' said UCA head coach Russ Pennell. "I told them I have so many mixed emotions because, boy, I hate losing. I don't believe in moral victories. It's hard for me to even say, you know we played pretty good.

    "But when I really think about it, we competed at a high level tonight, and that's one of the things I've been wanting the guys to do. We were on the floor for loose balls, I thought we turned them over, bothered them with our pressure. And when we got behind we fought back. All the stuff you want to see a team do. If we're going to accomplish our goals, we have to be that way. So I'm happy.'

    The Bears, trailing 50-42 at the half, fought back early in the second half despite Kamba and Brooks on the bench for much of the half with four fouls apiece. Both left in the first three minutes of the second half but a three-pointer by freshman Aaron Weidenaar, two free throws by another freshman Darraja Parnell and five straight points by Howard got UCA within 63-62 with plenty of time remaining. 

    Senior guard Jeff Lowery picked up his fourth foul with 12 minutes left but the Bears kept battling. The Cowboys pushed the lead back to 15 points at 83-68 with 6:41 to play but UCA cut it again on a three-point play by Kamba to make it 90-81 at the 3:58 mark. OSU then made a pair of three-pointers and a jumper down the stretch to set the final.

    "I told them, it's time for us to not be the punching bag anymore,' Pennell said. "We need to be the boxer coming out of the corner. And I think we're showing that. You almost have to get to a point that you are so sick of losing that you'll do anything to not lose. And I thought tonight we gave ourselves a chance.

    "This is what's nice about this team. When you do get in foul trouble, we hung in the game, even with Kamba and Brooks on the bench. Last year if Kamba and Brooks went to the bench at New Orleans, we blew a 15-point lead and lost by 15. So that will tell you a little bit about the depth this year.'



    For OSU, guard Phil Forte had a game-high 31 points, scoring 11 in the first three minutes of the game, and hitting 11 of 11 from the free-throw line. Guard Jawun Evans added 23 points, going 8 of 11 from the field. Jeffery Carroll also had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Cowboys.

    "The best player on the floor tonight was Mathieu Kamba, hands down' said Pennell. "The way he rebounded, the way he went to the hole. He was getting hit and still finishing. And he has that kind of talent. When he does that, he's a conference player of the year candidate. He's that good. He just has to have the drive and the motor, and tonight he definitely had that.'

    UCA made 28 of 39 from the free-throw line (71.8 percent) in a game that had 57 fouls and 71 free throws. No UCA players fouled out and OSU lost just one player to fouls. The Bears shot a respectable 46.7 percent overall and were 4 of 7 from three-point range. OSU made 55.7 from the field and were 10 of 29 from three-point range. UCA forced 17 turnovers and lost just 15, even after three turnovers in the first two minutes of the game.

    The Bears head to West Point, N.Y. this weekend to take part in the Maui Jim Invitational, taking on Chattanooga at 7:30 Saturday. The winner/loser takes on Army/Arkansas State at either 11 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. Sunday.