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CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears will face their first return opponent of the season on Tuesday night when they take on the Little Rock Trojans a second time at 6:30 p.m. at the Jack Stephens Center.

UCA (5-6) won the first meeting with Little Rock (3-8) back on Nov. 14 at the Farris Center, taking an 82-71 victory in Round 1 of the "Governor's I-40 Showdown." The matchup will be the first of six home-and-home series for the Bears this season, with the other five as part of the ASUN Conference slate which begins Dec. 31.

UCA senior Eddy Kayouloud led the Bears with 26 points in the Bears' earlier victory. Junior guard Collin Cooper added 22 points, including a career-high six three-pointers as the Bears. That duo combined for 27 of UCA's 37 first-half points.

The Bears held the Trojans to 39.7-percent shooting, winning all three categories. UCA shot 46.4 percent overall, 38.1 percent from three-point range (LR at 25.0 percent) and 83.3 percent from the free-throw line (LR at 65 percent).

UCA has gone 3-5 against a tough schedule since the win over Little Rock, while the Trojans have a 2-6 mark since the first meeting. Both teams have had a quick turnaround since their last games. The Bears are coming off an 87-66 loss at Oklahoma on Saturday in Norman, Okla. The Trojans lost 72-62 on the same day at Jacksonville State, an ASUN team that UCA will face later in the season.

"Little Rock is going to be really focused on getting the win," said UCA head coach Anthony Boone. "So we're going to have to withstand their best effort this season. I think this is probably their most important game of the year when we visit them Tuesday. It's going to be a very, very tough game for us.

"We're going to have just as well as we did in the second half here at Oklahoma to even have a chance to beat them."

The Trojans are in their first season in the Ohio Valley Conference so will no longer play their old rival Arkansas State in Sun Belt Conference play. However, Little Rock does travel to Jonesboro to face the Red Wolves in their next game in non-conference action on Thursday afternoon.

Little Rock's top scorer, rebounder and assist man is 6-foot-6 senior guard Myron Gardner, who averages 13.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists. Gardner had 12 points and 14 rebounds in the first matchup with UCA, one of five Trojans in double figures in scoring, but made just 4 of 13 from the field.

The game will be carried on The Bear 91.3, 92.7 Jack FM and on ESPN+.