LIVE AUDIO
LIVE VIDEO
LIVE STATS

COLUMBIA, Mo. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears will trade one Power 5 opponent for another when they take on the Missouri Tigers on Saturday afternoon to close out a two-game road trip.

The Bears and Tigers will tip-off at 2 p.m. at Mizzou Arena in the third meeting in the series and first since 2018.

The Bears had a solid showing at No. 12/13 Oklahoma on Thursday night, then turn around and take on an SEC team with just one day of rest. UCA fell by 16 to Oklahoma but was within five points with seven minutes to play at the Lloyd Noble Center.

Missouri, under second-year head coach Dennis Gates, is 7-5 on the season but has lost three straight games to a pair of ranked teams (No. 2/3 Kansas, No. 11/13 Illinois) and to Seton Hall. The Tigers have victories over Wichita State, Pittsburgh, Minnesota and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

In the last meeting in 2018, the Bears connected on 10 three-pointers but a poor shooting first half (26.6 percent) dug too deep a hole for a comeback. Eddy Kayouloud had 19 points and DeAndre Jones 14 for the Bears.

The only other meeting between the teams came in 2010 when UCA head coach Corliss Wiliamson faced Missouri head coach Mike Anderson, who was an assistant at Arkansas during Williamson's playing days. Missouri won that game 116-63.

UCA has two remaining non-conference games before Atlantic Sun Conference play begins on Jan. 6 at North Alabama. The final tuneup will be next Wednesday at the Farris Center against Champion Christian, with a noon tip-off.

Saturday's game with Missouri will be on the SEC Network, as well as The Bear 91.3 and 92.7 Jack FM.