WHO: Arkansas Razorbacks (8-2, 0-0 SEC) vs. UCA Bears (2-7, 0-0 ASUN)
What: Arkansas will travel to North Little Rock for the 29th time and face UCA for the ninth time, but only the third time since 1947.
When: Saturday – December 14th – 3:00 p.m. (CT)
Where: North Little Rock, Arkansas. • Simmons Bank Arena (18,000)
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– TV/Stream: Watch SEC Network Plus / ESPN (Brett Dolan and Joe Kleine)
– Radio: Learfield Razorback Sports Network (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
– Sirius/XM: Sirius: 113 / XM: 191 || SXM app channel 961
– Arkansas Gameday App
– Live statistics

– Arkansas game notes
– UCA game notes
– SEC Notes/Statistics

FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas makes its annual trip to North Little Rock to take on the UCA Bears on Saturday (December 14). Tipoff at Simmons Bank Arena is scheduled for 3 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on SEC Network Plus.

The series between the two programs dates back to Arkansas’ first basketball season (1923–24). Additionally, Arkansas has played in North Little Rock since this inaugural season. In fact, Arkansas’ sixth-ever game was played in North Little Rock.

Arkansas returns to Bud Walton Arena next Saturday (December 21) to host North Carolina A&T. The meeting point is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

NOTES:

• Arkansas and UCA met in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. However, the state programs had not previously met since the 1946/47 season. The Razorbacks are 8-0 overall against the Bears, including a 5-0 record in games in Fayetteville. The series dates back to Arkansas’ first basketball season. The teams met on consecutive days in Fayetteville during the 1923-24 season (January 11 and 12), with the Razorbacks winning 62-27 and 34-14, respectively. The programs also met in the 1933-34 season, on consecutive days in the 1935-36 season and the aforementioned 1946-47 season.
• The last time Arkansas and UCA met, the #9/10 Arkansas Razorbacks turned a six-point halftime lead into a 37-point, 97-60 victory over Central Arkansas at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas scored the first 11 points of the period and went on a 20-2 run, including an 8-0 run and a 12-0 run to decide the game. UCA was 7 of 10 from 3-point range in the first half, but was held to just 2 of 11 in the second half. Jaylin Williams had a career-high 13 rebounds (11 defensive) and four Razorbacks scored in double figures, including a game-high 17 points from Stanley Umude off the bench, 16 points each from Davonte Davis and Au’Diese Toney and 10 points from JD Notae. Umude added eight rebounds and Toney was 6 of 6 from the field in the second half, scoring 14 of his 16 points in the period.
• Arkansas is 18-10 all-time at North Little Rock and 14-10 at Simmons Bank Arena. Last year, Arkansas defeated Lipscomb 69-66 at Simmons Bank Arena. Arkansas’ history in the region dates back to its first basketball season, as the program played in the city four times in its early years, including the sixth game ever in school history on December 31, 1923 against North Little Rock HS. The North Little Rock arena opened for the 1999-00 season. The Razorbacks have played in the NLR in 22 of the last 23 years, with a 20-year streak in North Little Rock being cut short in December 2020 due to COVID. The only year Arkansas did not play in the NLR was the 2000-01 season.
• Arkansas head coach John Calipari faces UCA for the first time. But Cal is no stranger to training at the North Little Rock arena. On March 21 and 23, 2008, as head coach at Memphis, Cal led the Tigers to victories over UT Arlington and Mississippi State at what was then Alltel Arena en route to a national runner-up finish.
• Arkansas got off to a good start against Michigan before the Wolverines went on a 24-6 run (with a 12-0 spurt and UM making 11 of 11 field goals in a row) to lead by 15 (29-14). There were still 8:58 minutes left in the first half. Michigan also led by 15 (31-16) with 8:31 remaining and led by 15 (36-21) with 6:27 remaining. From that point in the first half, Arkansas outscored Michigan 57-24 over the next 15:51 minutes and took an 18-point lead (78-60) with 10:15 to play.. Arkansas outscored UM 33-11 early in the second half, including a 12-0 spurt to start the quarter, to take an 18-point lead. Boogie Fland totaled 18 points with four assists. Arkansas forced 10 UM turnovers in the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half.
• DID YOU KNOW… Zvonimir Ivisic is one of two players in the NCAA to have at least 20 blocked shots and made at least 20 3-pointers. Ivisic made 20 three-pointers and had 21 blocked shots and Bryant’s Connor Withers made 29 three-pointers and blocked 20 shots.

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