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CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears are back at home at the Farris Center on Sunday for their final tuneup before Atlantic Sun Conference play begins on Jan. 2.

The Bears (3-9) will host the Southwestern Christian Eagles at 4 p.m. on Scottie Pippen Court. ASUN action starts with Eastern Kentucky at the Farris Center next Thursday.

UCA finished off a grueling non-conference schedule last Sunday with a loss at Power 4 Oklahoma, which entered the game ranked No. 14/15 in the nation. It was UCA's fifth game against a Power 4 opponent in 12 games.

The Eagles (4-8) compete in the Sooner Athletic Conference and at the NAIA level. They play at Tulsa on Saturday afternoon before making the trip to Conway.

SCU is led in scoring by 6-foot-2 sophomore guard Deondra Dunn from Watonga, Okla., who averages 18.5 points per game. Michal Wooldridge, the son of SCU head coach Quinn Wooldridge, is the team's top rebounder at 6.8 per game. The Eagles average 64.0 points per game and allow 75.2.

UCA is led in scoring by freshman guard Layne Taylor of Farmington, Ark. He averages 16.9 points per game and has been the Bears' leading scorer in seven games. Taylor also has a team-high 39 three-pointers as UCA has made 108 threes for the season from 11 different players.

Senior Elias Cato averages 14.7 points and 4.8 rebounds, while sophomore Brayden Fagbemi averages 10.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and a team-best 4.8 assists. That trio are the only Bears who have started all 12 games this season as UCA has battled numerous injuries. The next closest is power forward Glory Etim with eight starts. 

UCA head coach John Shulman hopes to have a few of the injured Bears back by the opening of ASUN play. UCA will play its first two games at home, also hosting Bellarmine next Saturday. After that, UCA will have consecutive two-game road trips to Florida, playing at Stetson (Jan. 9), at Florida Gulf Coast (Jan. 11), at North Florida (Jan. 16) and at Jacksonville (Jan. 18).