Weeks ago, the University of Central Arkansas' men's basketball team was in real trouble.
The Bears lost seven games in a row from Jan. 26 to Feb. 23. Unless UCA (13-18, 8-10) had some sort of awakening, the postseason looked improbable.
UCA won three of its last four regular-season games, including a win-and-you're-in 70-63 victory Saturday at Northwestern State, which sent UCA to the Southland Conference Tournament in Katy, Texas, and knocked the Demons out.
"Three years in a row you get to go to Katy," UCA Coach Russ Pennell said after Saturday's victory. "And this one is really sweet because we were dead in the water a couple of weeks ago. But they just didn't give in and they just kept battling."
The Bears earned the No. 7 seed in the Southland Tournament and will take on No. 6 seed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (14-17, 9-9) at 7:30 p.m. today at the Merrell Center in Katy, Texas. The winner of UCA and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi will face No. 3 seed Southeastern Louisiana at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
"Everyone is 0-0," Pennell said.
It has been more than two months since the Bears and Texas-A&M-Corpus Christi met. To open Southland play, the Islanders defeated the Bears 87-75 on Jan. 2 at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas.
"It's been a while since we've played them," Pennell said. "I think we're both better teams now than we were then."
Pennell remembered the first half against the Islanders. UCA fell into a 42-34 hole at halftime and trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half.
UCA put together a 41-point second half, and tied the game with 8:19 remaining.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi shot 23 more free throws than the Bears, and went 27 for 35 from the free-throw line. UCA made 15 of 31 three-pointers, which was the most UCA made in a single game this season.
The Islanders finished the regular season winning their final three games.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, which is 7-1 vs. UCA in the past eight games, and UCA have never met in the Southland Tournament.
UCA men vs. Texas A&M-CC
WHAT Southland Conference Tournament
WHEN 7:30 p.m. Central today
WHERE Merrell Center, Katy, Texas
RECORDS UCA 13-18, 8-10 Southland Conference; Texas A&M-CC 14-17, 9-9
SERIES Texas A&M-CC leads 13-2.
RADIO KUCA-FM, 91.3, in Conway
INTERNET ESPN-Plus
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
UCA
POS. NAME, HT, YR PPG RPG
G DeAndre Jones, 5-11, So. 12.5 3.8
G Thatch Unruh, 6-5, Sr. 12.4 3.8
F Eddy Kayouloud, 6-7, Fr. 9.6 5.0
F Tanner Schmit, 6-8, Sr. 5.2 2.3
C Hayden Koval, 7-0, So. 12.3 6.0
COACH Russ Pennell (46-107 in his fifth season at UCA, 140-165 in 11th season overall)
TEXAS A&M-CC
POS. NAME, HT, YR PPG RPG
G Kareem South, 6-2, Jr. 14.1 5.2
G Jashawn Talton, 6-1, So. 8.9 5.0
G Emmanuel Toney, 6-2, Sr. 7.9 3.4
G Jake Babic, 6-5, Sr. 5.0 2.7
F Elijah Schmidt, 6-8, Jr. 6.2 5.5
COACH Willis Wilson (124-131 in eighth season at Texas A&M-CC, 342-378 overall in 24th season)
TEAM COMPARISON
UCA Texas A&M-CC
72.4 Points for 66.9
76.3 Points against 66.2
-2.6 Rebound margin +3.7
-1.4 Turnover margin -0.3
42.7 FG pct. 43.3
35.3 3-pt pct. 32.9
72.4 FT pct. 69.2
CHALK TALK The winner of No. 7 seed UCA and No. 6 seed Texas A&M-CC will advance to play No. 3 seed Southeastern Louisiana at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Merrell Center. ... Texas A&M-CC defeated UCA 87-75 on Jan. 2.
Sports on 03/13/2019