12/29/21 @Texas A&M
UCA 34-25=59 (2-10)
TAM 35-50=85 (11-2)
UCA/TAM:
FG%: 42% v 50%.....TAM +16 made 2s
3s% 44% v 40%....Bears +4 made
FT%: 70% v 52%...TAM +6 made...Aggies made more than Bears shot...
Rebs: 6-23/29 v 14-22/36...TAM +15 2nd chance points
TOs: 23 v 17...TAM +31 POTO...
Seems like we played with them pretty well for 31 minutes....we must have run out of gas in last 10 minutes.....Bear starters play 55 more minutes than TAM starters....TAM bench was +31 in scoring vs Bears....classic being worn down by greater depth....
Back home vs Champion Christian on Friday at noon...then the ASUN fun starts.....Go Bears!!
https://ucasports.com/news/2021/12/29/mens-basketball-bears-battle-but-fall-to-aggies.aspxBEARS BATTLE BUT FALL TO AGGIES
COLLEGE STATION, Texas _ For a little more than 30 minutes Wednesday night, the University of Central Arkansas Bears were the equal of the Texas A&M Aggies on their home floor.
But the Aggies, UCA's third Power 5 opponent of the season, exerted themselves down the stretch and pulled away to an 85-59 victory at Reed Arena.
UCA, which connected on a
season-high12 three-pointers, was down just one at halftime (35-34) and
within one point again at the 9:16 mark of the second half (54-53). But from there, the Aggies outscored UCA 31-6 to win going away. Turnovers were an issue for the Bears, who finished with 23, including 13 in the first half.
Sophomore guard Collin Cooper and true freshman guard Camren Hunter led the Bears with 12 points each, with Hunter going 3 of 3 from three-point range and Cooper adding four threes.
"I thought we played very well for 30 minutes,' said UCA head coach Anthony Boone. "We were down one with eight or nine minutes left, but after that we kind of just let go of the rope. But I think it was the longest stretch we've played well, including the Oral Roberts game that we won.
"I'm just disappointed in the last few minutes.'
The Bears turned it over five times in the opening four minutes but eventually settled down and found their range from the perimeter.
UCA hit six consecutive three-pointers for an 18-0 scoring run and
led the Aggies 26-13 with 9:00 remaining in the first half. But A&M answered with a 19-2 spurt that returned the lead to the home team at the final media time out.
UCA freshman Camren Hunter, who had a game-high 12 first-half points, made three free throws and his third three-pointer of the game over the final three minutes. Eddy Kayouloud scored on a drive with 40 seconds remaining for a 34-33 lead, and then rebounded an A&M miss but had it stolen and the Aggies finished the half with a layup for a
35-34 lead at the break.
UCA was 7 of 12 (58.3 percent) from beyond the arc in the first half, and shot 48 percent overall.
"We knew with the way they guarded, we would get some good, open looks,' said Boone. "They play very strong help-side defense and sometimes they over help and leave guys open on the weak side. They were going to commit to the guys driving and leave those other guys wide open.
"We worked on that over the last couple of days and the guys executed that, after the first few minutes, very well.'
The Bears got three-pointers from six different players, including the first of the season from sophomore Masai Olowokere in his third game and the second from graduate forward Jared Chatham. UCA was just 7 of 10 at the free-throw line while A&M shot 25 free throws but only made 13 (52 percent).
Junior Darious Hall added 8 points and 8 rebounds for the Bears who held their own on the boards with the SEC foe.
The Bears return home Friday for a quick turnaround, hosting Champion Christian at noon on Scottie Pippen Court at the Farris Center. The inaugural ASUN Conference season begins on the road on Tuesday, Jan. 4 in Richmond, Ky., against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels.