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CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears will open a three-game stretch of in-state foes on Wednesday when they take on the Little Rock Trojans at 7 p.m. at the Jack Stephens Center.

UCA (2-5) will continue their Arkansas swing at UAPB on Saturday night and versus Arkansas on Saturday, Dec. 14 at Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock.

The Bears and Trojans (4-4) will be meeting for the 55th time Wednesday, and for the only time this season, as part of the "Governor's I-40 Showdown." UCA leads the overall series 38-16, including last year's 75-71 victory at the Farris Center in Conway.

UCA shot 53.8 percent from the field in the second half to pull out the victory. The Bears made 22 of 24 at the free-throw line (90.9 percent) while the Trojans were just 14 of 23 (60.9 percent). 

The Bears are coming off their third Power 4 loss of the season, an 87-68 loss at Georgia Tech on Saturday in Atlanta. UCA connected on 14 three-pointers and had three players in double figures, led by freshman guard Layne Taylor with 20 points and five three-pointers. Senor Elias Cato had 17 points (3 threes) and sophomore Brayden Fagbemi scored 15 points (3 threes).

Little Rock is 4-4 and beat Maryland-Eastern Shore 78-59 in its last outing at home on Wednesday. That followed losses at Illinois (92-34) and Arkansas (79-67), both Top 25 teams at the time. The Trojans, under head coach Darrell Walker, average 68.1 points per game while allowing 72.1. Defensively, they are holding their opponents to just 38.2 percent shooting overall. 

Louisiana State graduate transfer Mwani Wilkinson leads the Trojans in scoring at 15.3 points per game and in rebounding at 6.1 per game. 

UCA's leading scorer is Taylor at 16.4 points per game, which ranks sixth in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Cato is next at 15.3 ppg, followed by Fagbemi at 13.6. The Bears have made 66 three-pointers, an average of 9.4 per outing, good for third in the ASUN behind North Florida (13.5) and Queens (9.9).