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CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears will have a quick turnaround when they face the Bellarmine Knights on Saturday at the Farris Center.

UCA, fresh off a double overtime loss to Eastern Kentucky on Thursday night, will host the Knights at 1 p.m. Saturday in their second Atlantic Sun Conference game. The Bears, who are still battling injuries, fought hard Thursday before falling 89-83. Of UCA's six home games this season, three have gone to overtime, and two to double overtime.

The Knights (3-11, 0-1) dropped their conference opener 82-66 at North Alabama on Thursday night in Florence, Ala., their fourth consecutive loss. Bellarmine's victories this season have come against Brescia University, Midway University and Bowling Green.

Bellarmine, under long-time head coach Scott Davenport, are 4-1 against UCA since becoming conference foes in 2021-22. The teams split two games last season, both close contests. UCA won 59-57 at the Farris Center, while Bellarmine took the rematch 68-65 in Louisville, Ky. 

UCA held Bellarmine to 37-percent shooting in the win. Both teams made nine three-pointers in the second game but the Bears shot just 38.6 percent from the field in the loss. 

On Thursday, freshman Layne Taylor, one of the Bears playing through injury, scored a career-high 27 points, with 25 of those coming after halftime. He recorded his first career double-double, adding a career-high 10 assists. Taylor was one of four Bears in double figures, including senior Elias Cato (13 before fouling out) and D.J. Seixas and Michael Evbagharu (11). 

The Knights are led in scoring by 6-foot-7 junior forward Jack Karasinski, who averages 16.1 points per game. Bellarmine is the most accurate three-point shooting team in the ASUN at 35.6 percent and is fourth in made threes with 9.4 per game.

Bellarmine averages 72.3 points per game and allows 79.9. 

The Bears, who played without junior forward/center Glory Etim on Thursday, hope to have sophomore Jabari West Jr., available Saturday. West, a 6-8 forward from Hot Springs, Ark., has missed nine games with a broken hand. 

Following Saturday's game, the Bears will be on the road for their next four games at Stetson (Jan. 9), Florida Gulf Coast (Jan. 11), North Florida (Jan. 16) and Jacksonville (Jan. 18).