CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears have been close a lot lately against some of the Southland Conference's best teams. Wednesday night at the Farris Center, they would like to do better than that and get back in the win column when they host the Southeastern Louisiana Lions at 7 p.m.

    The Bears (5-15, 4-5) have lost three consecutive games by a combined eight points, two of those one-point losses and the most recent one coming in overtime against Abilene Christian last Saturday at the Farris Center.

    "If these are the top four, then we think we have a really good chance at the end of the season,' said interim head coach Anthony Boone. "We have played well enough to win these games, but a couple of things here and there have kept us from doing that. But we have played pretty well lately and showed some fight, and I'm proud of them for that.'

    The Bears beat the first SLC contender they faced, Sam Houston State, back on Jan. 11. Since then, UCA lost 77-76 to No. 1 Stephen F. Austin, which made a free throw with two seconds remaining, dropped a 79-72 affair at Nicholls State on Jan. 18 and then lost 70-69 in overtime to ACU. Those four teams are a combined 29-7 in conference play.

    The Bears and Lions (6-14, 3-6) will be meeting for the first of at least two times this season, with Round 2 set for March 3 in Hammond, La. The teams played three times last season, splitting the regular-season games before the Lions beat the Bears 79-65 in the second round of the SLC Tournament in Katy, Texas.

    UCA has four players averaging in double figures for the season, and five since SLC play began. Junior guard DeAndre Jones averages 14.7 overall and 21.2 points per game in league play. The others are junior guard Rylan Bergersen (14.7/15/2), sophomore forward Eddy Kayouloud (12.8/10.9) and junior center Hayden Koval (10.9/11.2).

    The fifth double-figure Bear who has been a force in conference play is senior Aaron Weidenaar, who is averaging 10.1 points and shooting 48.9 percent (22 of 45) from three-point range in nine SLC games.

    The Lions, under former assistant and first-year head coach David Kiefer, knocked off Northwestern State in overtime on the road Saturday to break a two-game losing streak. SLU is led by versatile 6-foot-7 sophomore Ty Brewer, who averages team highs of 15.7 points and 8.0 rebounds. Senior guard Von Julien, one of the top point guard in the league, leads the SLC in assists at 5.0 per game, just ahead of UCA's Jones (4.5). Junior forward Pape Diop (6-9, 205) is the only other Lion averaging double figures at 10 points per game.

    The Bears will follow Wednesday's game with three straight on the road, beginning Saturday at Northwestern State in Natchitoches, La.