Confidence high, UCA coach says

Central Arkansas Coach Corliss Williamson believes his team is playing its best basketball entering today’s Southland Conference first-round game against Sam Houston State in Katy, Texas.

A fourgame winning streak will do that for a coach.

“Our confidence is at an all-time high right now,” said Williamson, who is in his third season as the Bears’ coach.

The Bears (13-16, 7-11 Southland Conference) are making their first appearance in the Southland Conference Tournament and are the No. 7 seed in the eight-team field going into tonight’s 7:30 p.m. game at the Merrell Center.

UCA had two five-game losing streaks in conference play with a three-game winning streak in between this season. The Bears were mired in their second five-game skid when they defeated Southern Illinois-Edwardsville 80-78 in a nonconference game Feb. 23 at the Farris Center in Conway.

The Bears went on to clinch a berth in the Southland Tournament with a 106-99 double overtime victory at Lamar on Feb. 28 before winning 68-67 at McNeese State on March 2.

A last-second three-pointer by forward Jarvis Garner in regulation and a game-winning tip-in by forward Anthony Borden in overtime helped UCA upset Oral Roberts 86-84 at home in its regular-season finale.

“We’ve been through the ups and downs,” Williamson said. “We learn from our mistakes, then we make those mistakes again. But the style we play, we can be dangerous.”

UCA’s seniors have been a big reason why the Bears are playing in Katy and aren’t staying at home in Conway like the previous two seasons under Williamson.

Garner, who was named second team Tuesday on the Southland’s all-conference team along with junior guard LaQuentin Miles, leads UCA in scoring (16.9 points per game) and rebounding (6.9 rebounds per game). Senior guard Robert Crawford (15.0 points per game) leads the league in three-pointers made (84) and three-point percentage (43.5).

“Our seniors have done an excellent job,” Williamson said. “They worked hard on improving their game. They attacked their senior year with a vengeance. They want to go out on a high note.”

The Bears lost both regular-season meetings with Sam Houston State (15-16, 8-10), 63-52 Jan. 17 in Huntsville, Texas, and 80-75 Feb. 16 in Conway after allowing a 15-1 run in the second half. Today’s winner will face No. 3 Oral Roberts at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

“We have to get a few breaks,” Williamson said. “In the first half [of both games], they defended us well. We got behind. We have to figure out a way to have a better start.”

It’s been a different story this season for UCA’s women’s team.

One year after winning the Southland Conference regular-season championship and playing in the WNIT, the Sugar Bears haven’t had the same type of success under firstyear Coach Sandra Rushing.

UCA (15-14) finished 8-10 in conference play this season and will be the No. 6 seed in the tournament, taking on seventh-seeded Stephen F. Austin at 1:30 p.m. today in the first round.

The Sugar Bears opened conference play 5-1 but finished the regular season by losing nine of their final 12 games. They lost to Oral Roberts 68-53 on Saturday in Conway in the final home game for seniors Megan Herbert, Desiree Rogers, Britney Gowans, Chantel Moss and Tracey Parsons.

Herbert was named the conference’s player of the year for a third consecutive year Monday. She leads the Southland in scoring (19.7 points per game) and is second in rebounding (11.6 rebounds per game).

UCA split the regular-season series with Stephen F. Austin, winning 57-54 Jan. 10 in Conway and losing 53-45 Feb. 7 in Nacogdoches, Texas.

Today’s winner will play No. 3 seed Lamar at 1:30 p.m. Thursday in the quarterfinals.

Sports, Pages 23 on 03/13/2013

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