CONWAY, Ark. _ The team that is atop the Southland Conference standings and the top two individual scorers in the league will be on display Saturday at the Farris Center when the University of Central Arkansas Bears host the New Orleans Privateers.

    Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. in UCA's return home after a four-game road swing. The game will be just the fifth of the season at the Farris Center for the Bears, who will eventually begin a five-game homestand on Jan. 28.

    The Privateers are 10-7 overall and a 5-1 in conference play after Thursday night's 72-64 home victory over Houston Baptist. UNO is led by the league's top scorer and No. 3 rebounder in senior forward Erik Thomas. He averages 20.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, and is also No. 1 in field-goal percentage at 60.7 percent. UCA counters with juniors Jordan Howard and Mathieu Kamba, who in conference games only, are Nos. 1 and 3 in scoring. Howard is averaging 23.5 points and Kamba 21.0 in six league contests.

    Howard, the most prolific three-point shooter in UCA history, single season and career, is second in the league in scoring overall at 19.4 points per game, and leads the SLC in three-pointers made (61) and free-throw percentage (93.4 percent). Senior Derreck Brooks is UCA's other all-around threat, with averages of 13.3 points and 7.1 rebounds. Brooks is fourth in the SLC in rebounding (8.7) in conference games, including an 11-rebound performance in UCA's last game, an 82-72 loss at McNeese State on Wednesday night.

    New Orleans has won six of its last seven games, including a pair of overtime SLC wins over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Lamar. UCA has dropped two straight after beating Abilene Christian and HBU in consecutive road games to get to 3-1 in conference play. The Bears have one more road game next week at defending champion Stephen F. Austin on Wednesday before coming home for two weeks of home games.

    The Bears and Privateers split their two meetings last season, with UNO winning 94-83 at home and UCA rolling to a 112-77 victory in the rematch at the Farris Center. UCA had three starters foul out (Justin Foreman, Jake Zuilhof, Kamba) in the first game, with Howard leading the way with 25 points. Thomas had 14 points and 10 rebounds for UNO.
    
    In the second matchup, Howard exploded for 36 points and Foreman and Kamba added 17 each as UCA scored a season-high 112 points. In the two games, Howard went 13 of 24 (54.1 percent) from three-point range as the Bears made a combined 22 three-pointers. UCA shot a blistering 62.1 percent from the field. Christavious Gill topped the Privateers with 22 points in the second game.

    New Orleans leads the overall series 3-2 but the Bears are 2-1 in games played at the Farris Center.

    Catch the action at ucasports.com/watch or follow live stats at sidearmstats.com/uca/mbball.