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COLLEGE STATION, Texas. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears will follow a win over an NCAA Division III team with their third trip of the season to an NCAA Division I Power 5 program on Wednesday night.
The Bears (2-9) will take on the Texas A&M Aggies of the Southeastern Conference at 7 p.m. at Reed Arena. UCA also faced Arkansas (SEC) and Baylor (Big 12) earlier in the non-conference season.
UCA is coming off a 90-56 victory over cross-town rival Hendrix College last Monday. The Bears have had two long breaks in late December and will be playing just their third game since Dec. 4. The Aggies (9-2) beat Dallas Christian 102-52 on Monday night to improve to 7-0 at home at Reed Arena.
The Bears played their most complete game of the season against the Warriors prior to the holiday break, shooting 53 percent from the field, dominating the rebounding (42-28), recording season highs in assists (20) and steals (16) and placing five players in double figures.
Junior
Eddy Kayouloud had his best outing of the season with 20 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals to lead the offensive charge. A pair of freshmen,
Ibbe Klintman and
Camren Hunter, both added 15 points, with Klintman earning ASUN Conference Newcomer of the Week honors by adding career highs in rebounds (6), assists (6), steals (3) and blocked shots (1).
Junior
Darious Hall, UCA's leading scorer on the season, had 14 points and sophomore
Masai Olowokere added 12 points and 6 rebounds in his second game of the season, and first game in the starting lineup. UCA played just nine players due to injury and illness, and could be shorthanded again against the Aggies.
Texas A&M has already beaten five members of UCA's former conference, the Southland, and one member of its new league, the ASUN. The Aggies have victories over Northwestern State, Houston Baptist, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, New Orleans and Abilene Christian in double overtime. The Aggies also knocked off North Florida of the ASUN back on Nov. 10. A&M's only losses were to Wisconsin and TCU, both on neutral courts.
The only common opponent for the Bears and Aggies is Butler. UCA lost at Butler on Nov. 12 while A&M beat the Bulldogs on Nov. 23 in Las Vegas, Nev.
The Aggies are led by 6-foot-5 graduate guard Quenton Jackson, who averages 12.2 points off the bench. Jackson in the only player in double figures but five more average at least eight points per game. The leading rebounder, at 6.0 per game, is 6-2 junior guard Tyrece Radford, while the assist leader is 6-2 sophomore guard Marcus Williams at 3.2 per outing.
The Aggies, under head coach Buzz Williams, shoot 37.6 percent from three-point range while holding opponents to just 29.5 percent.
The game will be carried live on The Bear 91.3, 92.7 Jack FM and on SEC Network+.Â
UCA returns home on Friday to take on Champion Christian, with a noon tip-off on Scottie Pippen Court at the Farris Center.