Bears Try to Slow Nation’s Top Scoring Basketball Team

Courtesy University of Central Arkansas Athletics Department

NATCHITOCHES, La. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears will try for a second time this season to slow the nation’s top scoring offense when they take on the Northwestern State Demons at 3 p.m. Saturday at Prather Coliseum.

The Demons (15-6, 9-2) are averaging 83.9 points per game. UCA (9-12, 4-7) could have a better chance in keeping up with NSU than some teams since the Bears are second in the Southland Conference in scoring at 76.7 points per game.

However, the Bears are coming off a season-low 36-point effort at Stephen F. Austin on Thursday night. It was UCA’s lowest scoring output since the 2008-09 season.

The Demons are fresh off an 85-73 victory over Oral Roberts, which put them in a second-place tie with the Golden Eagles, trailing only SFA (10-1). Northwestern State won the first meeting of the season with UCA 100-88 at the Farris Center. 

The Demons had six players in double figures in that game, led by Gary Stewart with 19 points. NSU made a season-high 12 three-pointers and a season-high 30 free throws. The teams combined to shoot 72 free throws in the game.

Senior guard Robert Crawford had 22 points and junior guard LaQuentin Miles scored 21 for the Bears. The Bears, the No. 2 three-point shooting team in the SLC, made only 4 of 13 from beyond the arc. 

UCA sits in seventh place in the SLC with seven games remaining. The top eight teams make the SLC Tournament, which begins on March 13 in Katy, Texas.