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RICHMOND, Ky. _ The University of Central Arkansas will be in new and unfamiliar territory when they open ASUN Conference play on Tuesday night.

The Bears will take on the Eastern Kentucky Colonels for the first time at 6 p.m. (CT) at Alumni Coliseum in their ASUN debut. The game will be the first of 16 conference matchups in their new league, after competing for 15 seasons in the Southland Conference. 

"There will be lots of new things, things you just don't think about,' said UCA head coach Anthony Boone. "Where we should stay on the road, where we should go to eat, all kinds of things like that, that were just second nature when we were in the Southland for so many years. 

"They'll be some headaches, they'll be some frustrations, but we'll try to keep our focus on the job at hand, and that is each team we play.'

The Bears and Colonels are both coming off blowout victories over non-Division I opponents in their most recent games. UCA romped past Champion Christian 119-47 last Friday at the Farris Center in just its third home game of the season, while EKU downed Alice Lloyd 106-52 on Friday to improve to 7-2 at home.

The Colonels, picked second in the ASUN West Division in the preseason poll, is one of the most prolific three-point shooting teams in the nation, tied for first in the country with a pair of teams UCA faced earlier in the season in VMI and Oral Roberts. UCA beat ORU at home back in November, holding the Golden Eagles to 6 of 28 from beyond the arc. VMI made 11 threes against UCA in a neutral site win in New Orleans on Nov. 25.

EKU also ranks 10th in the country in scoring with an 84.7 average. The Colonels have five players averaging in double figures, and two more above 8.0 points per game. Senior forward Jannson Williams (6-9, 221) leads the way with 11.9 points  and 6.0 rebounds per game, although he did not play against Alice Lloyd. 

The Colonels (8-6) have won three consecutive games after a five-game losing streak earlier in the season. 

UCA turned in its second-highest margin of victory in school history against Champion Christian and tied for the second-most rebounds (63) in school history. Seven Bears scored in double figures, the first time for a UCA team to achieve that feat since 2004.  The Bears held the Tigers to 24-percent shooting and outscored them 70-10 in the paint.

Freshman guard Camren Hunter recorded his first double-double of the season (17 points, 13 rebounds) to earn ASUN Newcomer of the Week honors.

The Bears return home on Saturday to host the Lipscomb Bisons in their first home ASUN matchup on Scottie Pippen Court. Tip-off is set for approximately 3:15 following the women's game.