TOP LION—Kevyn Green, shown above driving around a Nicholls State defender, continues to lead the Lions offense in scoring and will be a pivotal part of their success tonight as they host Central Arkansas.

Southeastern looks to use last Saturday's win over Nicholls State as a springboard to a run at first place in the Southland Conference's Eastern Division. However, there is a bear of a roadblock standing in the Lions' way tonight.

The Lions (11-7, 3-2 SLC) entertain Central Arkansas (12-8, 2-4 SLC) at the University Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. The game, which be televised on a tape-delayed basis on the Southeastern Channel (Charter Channel 18 in Tangipahoa and St. Tammany Parishes), can be heard over the internet only at www.LionSports.net.

"We have to start getting momentum as much as possible, and you've got to start the ball rolling somewhere," Lions head coach Jim Yarbrough said. "It always starts with the first game. It's a very interesting matchup. Those guys really attack you, and it'll be quite a test for our guys on the perimeter."

Southeastern, which will play six of their next seven games at home, posted its second-best shooting performance in school history - and best since 1964 - by converting on 67.5 percent of their attempts from the floor, including a single-game school record 71.4 percent (10-for-14) from behind the 3-point line in an 80-66 road win over the Colonels.

The win over Nicholls, plus Lamar's 91-82 win over Northwestern State, put the Lions in sole possession of second place and one game behind Lamar (10-8, 4-1) in the east.

"We've learned to be a pretty good road team through the course of the year," Yarbrough said. "Now we need to learn how to be a good home team."

Kevyn Green, who led Southeastern with 19 points, is the top scorer for the Lions at 14.9 points per game followed by Warrell Span at 12.4. Span, a former Patterson High product, notched his second double-double of the season with 16 points and a season-high 13 rebounds against the Colonels.

Rounding out the lineup for Southeastern are Tavaris Nance (10.8 ppg.), Dekyron Nicks (8.1 ppg.) and Patrick Sullivan (9.6 ppg.).

The Lions are expected to have their hands full with a Bears club that snapped a four-game losing streak with a 57-43 win over McNeese State, holding the Cowboys to 28 percent shooting from the floor and 2-for-13 from behind the 3-point line

The Bears, who won 10 games last season in its transition to Division I, opened SLC play with a 70-68 overtime win over UT Arlington before dropping contests to Texas State, Texas-San Antonio, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Lamar.

"They've taken some of the better teams at home and been able to go to distance," Yarbrough said. "The loss at UTSA, they lost by four. It's not like they've been getting blown out. It's a testament to what their coaching staff does. They play to the final horn and they play remarkably hard."

The Bears rely offensively on their three-guard tandem of Nate Bowie, Marcus Pillow and York Sims. Bowie, the SLC's third-leading scorer at 16.2 points per game, led UCA with 19 in its win over McNeese State while Pillow (14.0 ppg.) is 10th in the league in scoring and Sims (12.4) 18th.

The Bears' ability to use dribble penetration and take defenders off the dribble make them a tougher matchup than a traditional two-guard lineup, Yarbrough said.

"they just keep coming at you," he said. "I'm impressed with Bowie and how many times he's been to the free-throw line (123). Their lineup presents some very unique problems. Mobile, quick lineups put pressure on you."

If the Lions are thinking about taking advantage of size mismatches on the other end of the floor, UCA's frontcourt duo of Brian Marks and Durrell Nevels hold up their end defensively. Yarbrough said the Bears try to protect their guards by sagging their big guys a little. Nevels is second in the league in blocked shots per game (2.06) and third in rebounding (8.4) while Marks ranks fifth in the SLC on the boards (7.6).

"Nevels cleans up a lot of defensive mistakes with his ability to block shots," Yarbrough said. "They're not going to go away. We're going to have to play a complete game."