17 Dec 2024 Chaotic finish goes UCA’s way

CONWAY — The University of Arkansas Central Arkansas Bears pulled out a chaotic and hard-fought 73-71 victory over The Citadel on Monday night at the Farris Center.

The Bears made their last field goal with 4:22 remaining but did enough down the stretch on the defensive end to earn the victory. After sophomore D.J. Seixas scored in the paint with just over 4:00 left, freshman Layne Taylor provided the Bears’ only other points over the final four minutes with a pair of free throws with just 11.3 seconds on the clock. 

That gave the Bears a 73-69 lead but the Bulldogs’ Paxton Davidson was fouled on a drive to the basket and made both free throws to make it a two-point game with 6.3 left. A jump ball on UCA’s inbounds play went to the Bears but UCA turned it over on the next inbounds play with 2.1 left. UCA’s defense then stepped up and stopped The Citadel’s final attempt.

“You want them to feel like (a conference game),” said UCA head coach John Shulman. “Because if you get those games in there and you figure out winning and losing and the ebbs and flows of that type of game, then it makes conference play a little easier. Remember against the Citadel, we had to get the ball in bounds, we had to play some zone at the end of the game. We have to do all that.

“The money games are great, the big boy games are great. But you get so much more out of this type of game. For us to have zero confidence after all we’ve been through, and then to come out and do this. And then they make some tough shots and now we have to figure out a way to win the game at the end. That game was easily one you could lose. And you know what, we didn’t.

“I was really proud of the guys. It was really nice to get some positive reinforcement tonight.”

The Bulldogs (5-5) entered the game averaging 7.9 three-pointers made per game but drilled 11 of 20 (55 percent) in the opening half. Still, UCA held a 47-42 lead at the break after senior Elias Cato scored 13 points and Taylor added 10. UCA was a respectable 8 of 21 (38.1 percent) from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes.

“They (The Citadel) don’t shoot it great,” said Shulman. “They don’t. And they were 11 for 20 in the first half. And that puts doubt in your head. Can we stay the course. But they’re not going to go 11 for 20 both halves, I don’t think. We just had to stay in it and we did.”

The Bears then opened the second half with an 11-3 run to grab a 13-point lead on an alley-oop dunk by Cato on a pass from Taylor with 16:28 to play. But the Bulldogs, playing just their second road game of the season, found the range again and eventually tied the game at 67-67 with 6:57 to play.

From there, the teams combined for just eight points in a crazy, hectic final six minutes, with UCA’s defense allowing just five points over the last seven minutes.

“I thought we were pretty relentless in our traps and our presses,” said Shulman. “And I loved how we played our zone at the end of the game. When we play zone, we take away threes. It’s the opposite of what people think, but it’s been successful so far in my career.”

Taylor, a true freshman from Farmington, Ark., led the Bears with 21 points and added 5 steals. Cato, UCA’s lone senior, finished with 19 points, hitting 8 of 8 at the free-throw line. Sophomore Brayden Fagbemi had 9 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists, while Seixas had 5 big points off the bench.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our kids, their battle and their guts,” said Shulman. “Playing Arkansas Saturday, then have a quick turnaround. We battled and we guarded at the end and we found a way. We stayed the course and we hung in there and I couldn’t be more proud of them.” 

UCA (3-8) will face its fifth and final Power 4 opponent on Sunday when it takes on the Oklahoma Sooners at noon in Norman, Okla.