CONWAY, Ark. _ The first of three consecutive games against the top three teams in the Southland Conference comes Saturday afternoon when the University of Central Arkansas Bears host the Sam Houston State Bearkats at the Farris Center.
    
    UCA, 4-1 at home this season, takes on SHSU at approximately 3 p.m., following the women's game scheduled for 1 p.m.

    The Bears, who have won all three of their home conference games this season, play two consecutive games at the Farris Center against Sam Houston State and Wednesday's opponent Stephen F. Austin. Those two, along with the Nicholls Colonels, are all 4-1 in league play and atop the standings. UCA travels to Nicholls next Saturday.

    UCA is 3-2 in conference play after last Wednesday's loss at New Orleans. The Bears got 20 points each from junior center Hayden Koval and junior guard Rylan Bergersen but the Privateers had six players in double figures and made 16 of 18 free throws in the second half to hold off the Bears 86-78.

    Bergersen leads four Bears who are averaging double figures in scoring (14.1 points per game) for the season, including sophomore Eddy Kayouloud (13.2), Koval (11.9) and junior point guard DeAndre Jones (11.4).

    SHSU is nearly as balanced, with three players in double figures, led by the tandem of Kai Mitchell (14.5) and Zach Nutall (14.3). Mitchell, a tough matchup for most teams at 6-foot-7, 245 pounds, is shooting 53.7 percent from the field and pulling down a team-high 7.1 rebounds per game. The Bearkats have won seven of their last eight games dating back to Dec. 8. The lone loss was to Nicholls last Saturday.

    The Bears and Bearkats split their two meetings a year ago, with the road team winning both times. SHSU won 78-69 at the Farris Center in January with six players scoring at least 10 points. UCA got 27 points from senior guard Thatch Unruh, who was 6 of 9 from three-point range.

    In the rematch in Huntsville, Texas, UCA came away with a 91-87 victory as five players scored at least 13 points and the Bears connected on 13 three-pointers, three each from Unruh, Kayouloud and Jones. Jones had a team-high 22 points and was a perfect 11 of 11 from the free-throw line as UCA went 22 for 25 compared to 9 of 12 for the Bearkats. The teams combined to make 25 three-pointers and had just 14 combined turnovers.

    UCA, which plays five of its first seven SLC games at home, will be on the road for one game at Nicholls on Jan. 18 before two more at the Farris Center against Abilene Christian on the 25th and Southeastern Louisiana on the 29th.