Feb 9th, 2007 09:00PM
by:

By STEVE EAST
UCA SID

CONWAY — The University of Central Arkansas Sugar Bears will try to forget Thursday’s dismal performance and get back in the winning column tonight when they host the Sam Houston State Bearkats.

UCA, on a two-game losing streak but still in fourth place in the Southland Conference East Division, gets a chance to break out against the last place team in the West Division. Sam Houston, 5-18 overall and 2-8 in league play, broke a six-game losing streak with a 77-66 win over Northwestern State on Thursday.

The Sugar Bears are coming off a 64-54 loss to second-place Stephen F. Austin on Thursday, a game in which they were outrebounded 59-39 and made only 3 of 19 from three-point range. On top of that, senior Caronica Randle was held to a season-low two points, only her second game this season to not score in double figures.

Randle is the fourth-leading scorer in UCA history (1,956 points) and leads the SLC in scoring at 18.6 points per game, but went 0 for 8 from the field.

“We played against a really good team," said UCA head coach Checola Seals-Horton. “They played together really well and did what they were supposed to do. We had some people not do what we needed and that’s what happens. We aren’t good enough to play that way and expect to win. We have to play as a team."
       
With fellow senior Renita Dobbins (4 points, 4 assists) also struggling, the Sugar Bears turned to their younger players against the Ladyjacks. Junior Allyson Sample came off the bench and led the Sugar Bears with 15 points, while sophomore guard Mariesha Piggee had 10 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.

“It was a good chance to let some other players see what they could do in that kind of environment against that kind of team," Seals-Horton said. “I think some of them showed they could compete."

The Sugar Bears (9-13, 3-7) have six games remaining in their first season in NCAA Division I and can still finish with a winning record. They are on the road at Lamar University (second place in the east) on Thursday and McNeese State (last in the east) on Saturday.