LIVE AUDIO
LIVE VIDEO
LIVE STATS

NEW ORLEANS, La. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears will have a shot at a rare conference season sweep on Monday night when they take on the New Orleans Privateers at Lakefront Arena.

The Bears and Privateers will meet at 7 p.m. in a game orginally scheduled for Feb. 10 but postponed due to covid-19 issues with the UNO program.

UCA won the initial meeting 83-79 on Jan. 6 at the Farris Center in Conway. The Bears shot 56.7 percent in the second half to overcome a 41-38 halftime deficit. Senior Rylan Bergersen and sophomore Khaleem Bennett combined for 46 points, with Bergersen tallying a season-high 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting. Bergersen added 9 assists. 

Bennett was even more efficient, going 7 of 8 from the field and 7 of 9 from the foul line for his season high 21 points. UCA lost All-SLC senior guard DeAndre Jones to a season-ending knee injury in the opening minute of the game.

The Bears did most of their damage from close range, scoring 44 points in the paint and making only 4 of 12 from three-point range. Defensively, UCA held New Orleans to 38.2-percent shooting.

The Bears' victory evened the series history at six games apiece but UCA has won the past two meetings after the teams split last year's two games.  

UCA has not won a Southland Conference game since that date in January and stands 2-9 in league play. UNO is 4-13 overall and 3-6 in SLC play, after having four of their past five games postponed. The Privateers last played on Feb. 15, an 89-79 loss to second-place Stephen F. Austin. 

Bergersen led the Bears with 20 points in Saturday's 79-68 loss to the Nicholls Colonels in Thibodaux, La. Junior forward Eddy Kayouloud added 19 points and 7 rebounds. Bergersen and Kayouloud connected four and three times, respectively, from three-point range as UCA went 11 of 24 from beyond the arc.

The Privateers, the SLC champions in 2017, have three players averaging double figures, led by Damion Ross at 16.1 points per game. Troy Green is next at 14.6, followed by Derek St. Hilaire at 10.1. Ross is also UNO's top rebounder at 7.4 per game, which ranks second in the Southland. St. Hilaire has a team-best 35 three-pointers and shoots 40.2 percent from beyond the arc, sixth in the SLC.

The game will be carried live on The Bear 91.3 with Justin Acri.