CONWAY -- The University of Central Arkansas men's basketball team has never beaten Stephen F. Austin, but senior guard Jordan Howard is used to doing things the Bears program has never done.
UCA (10-11, 4-4 Southland Conference) has lost all 16 of its meetings with SFA (16-3, 5-1), dating back to a 60-54 home loss Feb. 7, 2007 -- the first season the Bears competed in NCAA Division I.
Since then, the Lumberjacks have advanced to four NCAA Tournaments, more than any Southland program during that stretch, including a run to the round of 32 in the 2013-2014 season. SFA's hold on the conference has taken root, but Howard said it's time to chop the giant down.
"Stephen F. Austin has always been the standard of the league," said Howard, who set the UCA career scoring record (2,158 points) in an 80-63 loss to Abilene Christian on Saturday. "That's something that we've wanted to reach. Now that we're at a point that we're an established program as well, we want to be the aggressor and take over that spot.
"That comes with time, but we feel that we're ready. And no perfect time other than now, my last year the last time I'll be playing them. So, after losing all these years, I think it's time to go and get some from them."
Howard arrived at the Conway campus when the basketball program had been placed on a two-year postseason ban for not meeting the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate requirements. After going 17-72 in three seasons, the Bears have won a school-record nine games against NCAA Division I opponents this season.
During Howard's freshman season, the Bears suffered a 109-58 loss at home to SFA. Last season, UCA's home loss to the Lumberjacks was 90-85 in overtime.
Fourth-year Bears Coach Russ Pennell said the margin is closing.
"Hopefully, we can gain on it this year," he said.
SFA has won five consecutive conference games by an average of 13 points, and the Lumberjacks have used their strength near the basket to average 40.8 points in the paint during the streak.
UCA has scored 40 points or more in the paint only three times all season. The Bears' rebounding margin (-4.6) ranks last in the Southland and 321st nationally out of 351 teams. SFA's margin (+4.2) ranks first in the conference. Only three UCA players taller than 6-5 average more than 10 minutes of game play, and one of them, 6-6 senior forward Ethan Lee, has missed five games with a compound dislocation of his right thumb.
UCA lives on the outside with the Southland's second-most made three-pointers (8.4 per game), but SFA overcame a 10-point halftime deficit against Abilene Christian last Wednesday by holding the Wildcats to 0 for 7 from three-point range during the second half.
"They force you to take quick shots," said Howard, whose 342 career three-pointers are a conference record. "We're going to attack the rim really well. I feel the more we attack the rim, and we're the aggressor, that'll open up the threes. So, I don't think we need to be concerned about chucking up threes early. We need to start off aggressive and attack the rim and share the ball well."
Sports on 01/24/2018