CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears and Little Rock Trojans will both be playing at the Farris Center for the first time this season when they face each other Tuesday night in the first of two meetings in the "Rock N Roar Rivalry."

    UCA hosts Round 1 as its home opener looking to break an eight-game losing streak to Little Rock. The Trojans won both games last season en route to a school-record 30-5 season and second-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament. UCA, under third-year head coach and former UCA Bear Russ Pennell, is slowing building a winner and has a full complement of players available this season after two seasons of heavy redshirting.

    The Trojans are 4-2 on the season and are coming off a 91-79 win over Central Michigan last Wednesday in the Lone Star Showcase in Cedar Park, Texas, a game in which they shot 66 percent from the field. Wes Flanigan, a former Little Rock assistant coach, is in his first season heading the program.

    The Bears (1-4) beat the Army Black Knights 81-76 on Nov. 20, then lost at Western Michigan 80-63 last Saturday in Kalamazoo. The Bears, who are facing one of the toughest schedules in school history, have yet to play at home. In fact, the Bears will play only two home games in the first semester, and have road games looming at Butler this weekend, at Michigan of the Big Ten and Arizona State of the Pac-12 before Christmas.

    Senior guard Derreck Brooks, who missed one game with a concussion, is leading the Bears in scoring at 17.3 points a game and is coming off a double-double (20 points, 10 rebounds) against WMU. Brooks, the reigning Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year, hit 4 of 5 from three-point range against the Broncos and is connecting on 53.6 percent from beyond the arc for the season. 

    Junior guard Jordan Howard, a first-team All-SLC selection, is next at 16.0 points per game and has made at least one three-pointer in 45 consecutive games and is shooting 40 percent from three-point range. Junior Mathieu Kamba is averaging 12.8 points and a team-high 7.4 rebounds per outing.

    Senior Jeff Lowery, who has started the past three games for the Bears and has been a valuable addition to the starting lineup, averaging 8.4 points and 4.0 assists, with 14 assists over the past three games.

    For the Trojans, senior guard Marcus Johnson, Jr. is the top scorer at 15.0 points per game. He is just one of four Trojans averaging double figures, including senior guard Kemy Osse (12.7), senior forward Jalen Jackson (12.0) and senior forward Lis Shoshi (10.3). All four are expected to be in the starting lineup for reigning Sun Belt Conference champions, along with another senior Maurius Hill (9.8).

    Little Rock won both meetings last season, holding off the Bears 79-73 at the Jack Stephens Center, then downing UCA 77-54 at the Farris Center. Tipoff is approximately 7:30 following the UCA-Alcorn State women's game.