CONWAY, Ark. _ Powered by a season-high 14 three-pointers and a solid defensive effort, the University of Central Arkansas Bears improved to 3-1 in Southland Conference play with a 79-69 victory over the McNeese Cowboys on Saturday afternoon at the Farris Center.

The Bears (4-11, 3-1) got a spark off the bench for the second consecutive game from junior guard DeAndre Jones, who missed eight games after ankle surgery and returned on Thursday at Houston Baptist. Jones went 6 of 7 from three-point range and scored 26 points, and also chipped in nine of UCA's 20 assists. Senior Aaron Weidenaar and redshirt freshman Jaxson Baker both made 3 of 5 from beyond the arc and scored 11 points each as the Bears shot 56 percent (14 of 25) on three-pointers.

The Bears, coming off an overtime loss at HBU, never trailed after the first five minutes of the game and enjoyed as much as a 20-point lead early in the second half. UCA held a 44-30 halftime lead after McNeese's Dru Kuxhausen made a driving layup at the first-half buzzer to give him 14 points. Kuxhausen entered the game as the nation's leading three-point shooter and went 4 of 5 from beyond the arc in the first half but did not play in the second half due to an apparent injury.

UCA held McNeese to 41.7-percent shooting overall after the Cowboys came into the game leading the SLC at 52.0 percent, and also forced 21 turnovers 

"We shot the ball well, which was great,' said UCA associate head coach Anthony Boone. "It was good to see the ball go in the hole. But our game plan was to play solid defense when we got back from the last game. We really worked on that yesterday, upping our level on the defensive end, upping our intensity. And that really paid off in this game.'

Jones, with his first assist of the day, became UCA's career leader and now has 350 in just more than two full seasons, breaking the mark of UCA head coach Russ Pennell. 

"He's played incredible,' said Boone of the Bears' 5-11 All-SLC point guard, who missed more than month of action. "He has had incredible focus and he's playing at a really good pace. And he's helping everyone else to be better on the floor.'

Jones finished 6 of 7 from three-point range and 8 of 8 at the free-throw line as the Bears got 37 points from its bench. UCA held at least a 13-point margin throughout the second half until the Cowboys (5-9, 0-3) closed to within 10 points in the final minute. Junior guard A.J. Lawson led the Cowboys with 15 points, followed by Kuxhausen with 14 as the only other McNeese player in double figures. 

UCA shot 56 percent from three-point range, two days after going 11 for 37 in the overtime loss at HBU.

"I think we had 17 attempts in the first half,' said Boone, "so we only took eight in the second half. And that's why we expanded the lead. We kept going to the basket, we pushed the ball up the floor a little bit more in the second half and attacked the paint. Certainly happy with that number of attempts and really happy with that number of makes.

"Our guys are continuing to learn each other and trust each other a little bit more. And it just came together really well today.'

The Bears, 4-1 at home this season, return to the road on Wednesday, taking on the New Orleans Privateers at 7 p.m. at Lakefront Arena.