Hog Hoops
UCA looking for first win over Razorbacks in Friday night matchup
Central Arkansas is looking for its first win over the Razorbacks as the Bears visit Bud Walton Arena Friday night.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Central Arkansas has played Arkansas 10 times on the hardwood and the Bears are still hunting for their first win in the series.
They get another crack at it Friday night when the No. 19 Razorbacks (2-1) host UCA (2-1) at 7 p.m. CT inside Bud Walton Arena.
There’s not much rest for the Hogs this week. This is their second home game since Wednesday.
Both teams lost a game earlier this season, and both have gotten back in the win column since.
Arkansas handled Robert Morris 76-53 on Wednesday. UCA’s tune-up against Ecclesia College turned into a track meet early.
The Bears put up 71 points in the first half alone. That’s a school record for Central Arkansas since it moved up to Division I.
Nobody in Conway needs a reminder of how this series has gone.
How to watch Arkansas vs. Central Arkansas
SEC Network+ has the game, with Josh Haley and Joe Kleine on the call. You can catch it on the ESPN app.
On the radio, Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman will work the game on the Razorback Sports Network. It’s also on Sirius channel 99, XM channel 190, and TuneIn.
Fans can listen statewide and on ESPN Arkansas 93.7 and 99.5 in Fayetteville, 95.3 in Fort Smith and the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.5 in Harrison-Mountain Home.
Bud Walton Arena holds 19,200 fans. UCA has made six trips there in this series and lost every one.
Overall, Arkansas leads the series 10-0. The first meeting between the schools took place during the 1923-24 season.
Last November’s game wasn’t close either. UCA left town on the wrong end of a 93-56 score.
Bettors expect a similar story Friday. Arkansas is listed as a 25.5-point favorite, and the over/under is set at 161 points.
What to know about the Bears
John Shulman is in his third year running the UCA program. He’s 31-36 in Conway and has gone 17-17 in ASUN games.
Things clicked for Shulman’s group last season. The Bears won 22 games, lost 12 and took home the ASUN regular-season crown.
This season’s wins have come against Oral Roberts and Ecclesia. UCA is 0-0 in ASUN play, with league games still down the road.
Ty Robinson is the top scorer on the roster. The sophomore guard is averaging 14.7 points a game.
He’s a pest on defense too, with 2.3 steals per game.
That first half against Ecclesia showed this offense can get hot. Ecclesia isn’t the No. 19 team in the country, though.
Razorbacks look to stack wins at home
On the other bench, John Calipari is in his third season leading Arkansas. His record with the Hogs is 52-24, and he’s 21-15 inside the league.
A year ago, Arkansas went 28-9 and made a run to the Sweet 16. This year’s group hasn’t opened SEC action yet.
The season tipped off with a 106-61 rout of UAPB.
Sunday’s trip to Washington, D.C., was a rough one. Virginia beat the Razorbacks 91-72, handing them their first loss of the year.
The Hogs responded three days later with that 23-point win over Robert Morris.
A win Friday would give Arkansas back-to-back victories. It would also move the Razorbacks to 11-0 all-time against UCA.
| Sat, Sep 5 |  | vs North Alabama | W 31-14 |
| Sat, Sep 12 |  | @ Utah | L, 43-10 |
| Sat, Sep 19 |  | Georgia | L, 45-17 |
| Sat, Sep 26 |  | Tulsa | W 34-6 |
| Sat, Oct 3 |  | @ Texas A&M | L, 34-7 |
| Sat, Oct 10 |  | Tennessee | L, 24-17 |
| Sat, Oct 17 |  | @ Vanderbilt | W 31-21 |
| Sat, Oct 31 |  | vs Missouri | L, 34-10 |
| Sat, Nov 7 |  | @ Auburn | L, 26-23 |
| Sat, Nov 14 |  | South Carolina | 6:45 PM SEC Network |
| Sat, Nov 21 |  | @ Texas | 2:30 PM ABC or ESPN |
| Sat, Nov 28 |  | vs LSU | Early Kickoff 11:00 AM-Noon |
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