Bears fall in overtime again, drop 79-75 decision at Eastern Kentucky

RICHMOND, Ky. — By the time overtime ended at Baptist Health Arena, Central Arkansas found out close doesn’t count, and moral victories don’t travel well.

The Bears dropped a 79-75 overtime decision to Eastern Kentucky, wasting a fast start, a strong night from Camren Hunter and just enough late-game hope to make the final result sting more than usual.

This one followed a familiar script. Start strong. Trade punches. Force overtime. Leave empty-handed.

For UCA, that’s now two straight road overtime losses. If nothing else, the Bears are consistent.

The opening minutes suggested a much happier ending. Central Arkansas jumped out to a 12-0 lead that had the home crowd shifting uncomfortably in its seats.

Hunter drilled back-to-back 3-pointers, Luke Moore slashed to the rim, and the Bears looked like a team that packed confidence right alongside the warmups.

Eastern Kentucky eventually remembered it was playing at home. The Colonels chipped away, found a rhythm from deep and slowly erased the early deficit.

By halftime, the game had flipped into a 40-37 EKU lead, proof that hot starts don’t come with expiration dates, but they do come with reminders.

The second half stayed tight, physical and stubborn. Neither team managed to pull away, and every small run was met with an answer. Moore buried a timely 3 to keep the Bears within reach. Hunter attacked mismatches, scored in traffic and kept UCA upright when possessions grew heavy.

Late in regulation, Hunter hit a jumper that tied the game at 69-69, sending it to overtime and guaranteeing another five minutes of tension. The Bears had been here before, and they didn’t blink.

Overtime started well enough. Hunter scored on three straight possessions, calmly knocking down jumpers that suggested UCA might finally flip the script.

The Bears had momentum, confidence and just enough control to believe this night might end differently.

It didn’t.

Late 3s doom Bears in overtime

Eastern Kentucky answered the only way it seemed capable of answering all night — with 3-pointers. Austin Ball knocked one down to keep the Colonels close.

Turner Buttry followed with another that swung the lead and shifted the tone. Just like that, the margin for error disappeared.

The Bears didn’t collapse. They just ran out of time and answers.

Eastern Kentucky closed it out at the free-throw line, and the final seconds ticked away with UCA chasing points it never quite reached.

Hunter finished with a game-high 25 points, pouring in baskets from all over the floor while also handing out four assists. Moore added 17 points, including three 3-pointers that arrived right when the Bears needed them most.

Ty Robinson did the dirty work, pulling down 10 rebounds and collecting four steals.

Those numbers matter. They just didn’t matter enough.

Eastern Kentucky’s 19 made 3-pointers told the real story. You can survive a few.

You can even survive a stretch. Surviving a full night of them, especially on the road, is another issue entirely.

UCA’s effort never wavered, which somehow made the ending tougher to swallow. The Bears led early. They responded late. They forced overtime. They just didn’t close.

There’s no mystery to the frustration. Games like this linger. Players replay possessions. Coaches replay decisions. Fans replay the box score and wonder how a team that did so much right still came up short.

For the Bears, the challenge now is simple and stubborn: learn how to finish.

This roster has proven it can compete. It can build leads. It can answer runs.

It can force extra time in hostile gyms. What it hasn’t done, at least recently, is turn those moments into wins away from home.

The good news is that ASUN play doesn’t slow down to allow pity parties. UCA returns home Thursday to face Jacksonville University, carrying another close loss and another chance to reset.

If nothing else, the Bears have shown they won’t quit. That’s admirable. At some point, though, effort has to turn into results.

Because heartbreak only feels romantic until you stack too much of it in January.

Key takeaways

• UCA dropped its second straight road overtime game, falling 79-75 at Eastern Kentucky.
• Camren Hunter led all scorers with 25 points and forced overtime with a late jumper.
• Eastern Kentucky’s 19 made 3-pointers proved decisive in the ASUN matchup.