CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears misfired on a potential game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer Monday night and fell 78-75 to the Lamar Cardinals in Southland Conference play at the Farris Center.

    UCA sophomore Thatch Unruh, who missed the past three games with a hand/wrist injury, got a good look from the top of the key but the ball rimmed out as the Cardinals (9-5, 1-0) held on to win their SLC opener. The Bears, who fought back from an 11-point deficit early in the second half, dropped to 2-13 overall and 1-1 in league play after Saturday's upset of league favorite Sam Houston State. 

    "We had a chance, we got a good look,' said UCA head coach Russ Pennell. "And that's some growth. We executed a set play out of a time out and got a look. We don't have anyone to blame but ourself. 

    "Thatch's first practice was yesterday because he's been hurt. But I'll take our chances with him about any time there. But I wish he'd had a couple more days of practice and reps before he had to shoot that ball under that pressure.'

    Junior guard Jordan Howard led the Bears with 21 points and junior Mathieu Kamba added 18 points and 7 rebounds before fouling out. The Cardinals, one of the top rebounding teams in the conference, outrebounded the Bears 42-32, including 18 boards on the offensive end. UCA junior Ethan Lee had a team-high eight rebounds (five offensive) and added 10 points. 

    "That (rebounding) was the game,' Pennell said. "They scored 20 points off second chance and you lose a three-point game. Even with some of the silly mistakes we made _ you're going to make some mistakes playing _ I thought we played hard. I just didn't think we were making contact on our box outs and weren't really pursuing the ball. It was almost like we were waiting for someone else to go get it instead of someone taking over. 

    "And that's one of the deficiencies right now with our big men. They have got to rebound. They have to go in there and pursue balls. And we're just not getting that on a consistent basis. That's something we have to work on.

    "Ethan Lee had another stellar night. He goes 8 rebounds, 10 points. I thought he battled hard. He's doing everything he can.'

    UCA shot 45.5 percent from the field and forced nine Lamar turnovers in the first half but trailed 43-40 at halftime. Kamba had 12 of his 18 points in the opening 20 minutes. In the second half, the Bears survived a streak of five consecutive turnovers and a 12-2 run by the Cardinals and closed an 11-point deficit to just two points at 68-66 on Albert Christensson's two free throws with 7:40 to play.

    But after a Derreck Brooks jumper with 5:35 left, UCA did not make another field goal, getting only 7 of 8 free throws down the stretch before the final miss. Unruh made it 78-75 with 1 of 2 at the line _ after making a pair with 1:55 remainining _ and the Cardinals' Colton Weisbrod missed four consecutive free throws to give the Bears a final chance.

    "I think the big thing is staying positive,' Pennell said. "I told them in there (locker room), they have a chance to go to Abilene (Christian) and win a game (on Thursday). Every game this year is winnable, I believe, but you have to make sure that you don't have a hangover from the last one. 

    "The thing I like, our first two (SLC) games, they were games we had a chance to win. We won one of them and lost one of them, but it's not that 30-, 40-point blowout where you don't look good. We're still making mistakes, we're still a work in progress, but we are a competitive basketball team now. And that's growth. I know now, in time outs, we're coaching to win games, not coaching 'keep your head up, don't get down on yourself.'

    "And that's progress.'

    Josh Nzeakor led the Cardinals with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Weisbrod added 13 and 12.

    UCA travels to Abilene Christian for a Thursday night matchup at Moody Coliseum before a week-long break.