SAN ANTONIO, Texas _ The University of Central Arkansas' last game against Incarnate Word was its best. The Bears are hoping for an encore on Wednesday night when they take on the Cardinals at 7 p.m. at the McDermott Convocation Center on the UIW campus,
One year ago, the Bears (7-10, 2-2) beat the Cardinals 92-76 at the Farris Center for their first victory over UIW in seven meetings. The previous two losses to the Cardinals were by a combined three points in 2016 and 2017 but UIW is still just one of three teams the Bears have never beaten on the road. UCA is 0-2 at the McDermott Center.
UCA evened its Southland Conference record at 2-2 last Saturday with a 75-68 victory over the Lamar Cardinals at the Farris Center. The Cardinals (6-10, 1-2) lost 66-52 at Sam Houston State in their last outing and are just 1-5 in their past six games, and 2-8 in their past 10. UIW has lost to McNeese State at home but handed Nicholls State, which is 10-7 overall and tied for second in the SLC, its only SLC loss.
The Bears got 41 points from then-senior Jordan Howard in last year's blowout victory. UCA's other three double-figure scorers all return this season (sophomore Hayden Koval 15, senior Thatch Unruh 11, junior Aaron Weidenaar 10). UCA made 13 of 27 from three-point range last year while UIW was just 4 of 22 (18.2 percent).
That trend could continue again Wednesday as the Bears enter the game as the second-best three-point shooting team in the SLC at 37.4 percent, with the second-best individual perimeter shooter in sophomore guard DeAndre Jones (44.6 percent). The Cardinals are shooting just 30.2 percent from beyond the arc for the season, despite Antoine Smith hitting at a 41.9-percent clip.
UCA connected 12 times from three-point range in the win over Lamar, with Unruh going 4 for 8 and six other players making at least one three-pointer. It was the seventh time this season the Bears had made at least 10 threes in a game. UCA averages 8.6 three-pointers per game and has made 147 threes, nearly twice as many as UIW (74).
The Cardinals are led by three players who average double figures, including Christian Peevy and Morgan Taylor at 11.3 points per game each and Charles Brown at 10.3. Jones tops the Bears at 12.9 per game, followed by Koval (11.3), Unruh (10.7) and freshman Eddy Kayouloud (9.9). Over the past four games, Unruh is averaging 16.8 points, is shooting 51.6 percent on three pointers and is 9 of 9 at the free-throw line.
The Cardinals lead the SLC in one statistical category, free-throw shooting, making 80.7 percent. UCA is third at 73.8. Peevy is second in the conference at 90.8 percent.
UCA returns home to face the Nicholls Colonels on Saturday in a doubleheader with the Sugar Bears. Tip-off will be approximately 4:30 at the Farris Center.
