CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears look to get back on the winning track at 3 p.m. Saturday at a friendly venue when they host the McNeese Cowboys at the Farris Center.

UCA (3-11, 2-1) won its first two Southland Conference games at the Farris Center before the holiday break, but have lost two consecutive games, one non-conference and one overtime loss to Houston Baptist in league play on Thursday night in Houston.

The Bears will be playing just their fifth home game of the season but have a 3-1 record on their home court. The Cowboys (5-8, 0-2) have yet to win a road game this season and have not won away from home since Feb. 27 of last season. They closed out a five-game homestand on Thursday night with a 94-75 loss to Sam Houston State.

The Bears played their fourth overtime of the season at HBU and fell to 1-3 in extra-period games. The Bears and Cowboys, ironically, played an overtime game last season in their only meeting, with McNeese winning 83-75 at the McNeese H&HP Complex. The Cowboys outscored the Bears 15-7 in overtime and 32-23 in the second half to overcome UCA's nine point halftime lead. 

The Cowboys made 13 of 18 at the free-throw line while the Bears were 6 of 8 for the game. Then-sophomores DeAndre Jones and Hayden Koval had 17 points each for the Bears, while freshman Eddy Kayouloud had 14 points and 14 rebounds.

UCA had five players in double figures on Thursday night against the Huskies, led by a career-high 23 points from Koval along with 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. Jones and redshirt freshman Jaxson Baker followed Koval with 21 points each. Baker was 5 of 10 from three-point range as UCA finished 11 of 37 (29.7%). Jones, in his first action since Nov. 17 due to an injured ankle, had 21 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists.

Jones, a 5-11 guard from Boise, Idaho, is now tied with UCA head coach Russ Pennell for the career assists record at UCA with 341. 

McNeese's junior transfer guard Dru Kuxhausen lead the NCAA in total three-pointers made (57) and threes per game (4.4). Senior 6-8 forward Shamarkus Kennedy is sixth in the nation in field goal percentage at 66.4 percent. Senior guard Roydell Brown has had a double-double in two of his last three games while junior gaurd A.J. Lawson has been in double figures in seven consecutive games and 13 on the season. As a team, the Cowboys are ranked second in the nation in three-point accuracy, shooting 42.9 percent. 

The Bears have three players averaging double figures, including sophomore Eddy Kayouloud (14.4), junior Rylan Bergersen (14.1) and Koval (11.6). Koval leads the SLC in blocked shots with 52 and is ranked in the Top 10 in the nation. Jones averages 9.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in his six games this season.

UCA returns to the road next Wednesday at New Orleans before returning home for a doubleheader with the Sugar Bears on Saturday, Jan. 11.