Bears fall short of conference tournament berth
NORTH ALABAMA 82, UCA 78
CONWAY — It was an all too frequent story for the University of Central Arkansas men’s basketball team Friday night.
The Bears did plenty well — shooting 48.1% from the field, hitting seven three-pointers and getting a career-high from junior Elias Cato with 23 points.
But for all the bright spots, UCA didn’t have enough, falling 82-78 to North Alabama at the Farris Center to miss out on the ASUN Tournament for the second year in a row.
“This game was a lot like a number of our games, especially here late,” UCA
Coach Anthony Boone said. “It was frustrating because we played well but just on a few key possessions, we turned the ball over or we missed an easy opportunity at the basket or we missed a rebound. Key moments that really determine the outcome of the game.”
The loss was UCA’s (923, 5-11 ASUN) fifth in a row and eighth this season by five points or less.
“We’ve been playing a lot more consistently, we just couldn’t get over the hump and in each of those games, we lost a pretty tightly-contested game,” Boone added.
Other than a fleeting moment four minutes into the game, UCA led North Alabama (14-16, 8-8) for the first 24 minutes as Cato and freshman Tucker Anderson combined for 29 points of their 51-48 lead.
Three minutes later, the Bears lost the lead on a three-point play by Will Soucie to fall behind 54-53. The Lions led for the final 13:19.
North Alabama was ahead by eight down the stretch, but a 7-2 run, fueled by four free throws from Anderson, brought UCA back within a possession with five minutes remaining.
UCA stayed within striking distance until the end, but a missed Masai Olowokere layup with 13 seconds remaining ended the Bears’ hopes of a spot in the postseason.
In the locker room after the game, Boone said he didn’t talk much about what had just happened, he and everyone else in that room were witnesses firsthand.
What he did focus on was what this season meant to the program he’s led for the past five seasons and what it means for the next one.
The Bears were buoyed by young players this season, alongside Cato, Olowokere and fellow senior Daniel Sofield.
Anderson scored 20 points, the seventh time the freshman from Bentonville West has reached the mark this season.
Anderson shared the floor with classmate Javion Guy-King, a 6-6 freshman guard, and sophomore guards Johannes Kirsipuu and Carl Daughtery Jr., two players that were thrust into larger roles in the absence of Camren Hunter.
Hunter, one of the top players in the ASUN and the Bears’ leading scorer each of the past two seasons, was ruled out for the season with a broken foot that he sustained in fall practice.
Instead of focusing on the disappointing end to the season, Boone instead turned to next season, when Hunter will join Cato, Anderson and the rest of a young Bears team he spent the season mentoring.
“It was good to see the guys continue to push, continue to work hard, continue to battle each game and never hang their heads and just quit,” Boone said. “That is a testament to their character, and that’s why, as Cam gets back, he’s [not only] going to make the team better, but he’s going to have really good teammates with him. Just that little bit will make the results a lot better next season.”