Well, we have just returned from a trip to lovely Batesville, Ark. after watching the Sugar Bears take apart the Pipers of Lyon College 71-54.

The first half was sloppy, but the Sugar Bears went on a big run late in the first and early in the second to pull away from Lyon and come up with the big victory.

This was the regular-season Sugar Bears game we've witnessed all season long. UCA won't play in the Farris Center until GSC foe Ouachita Baptist visits on Jan. 7, 2006.

Last time we saw the Sugar Bears was a little over a month ago in their final exhibition game at Arkansas State. That one didn't turn out so well.

With that being said, we finally have a new Sugar Bear photo gallery. You can find those photos here.

Stat-keeping in the NAIA isn't quite what it is at most NCAA schools, so Josh's story will be somewhat delayed as he gets the statistical information figured out, but check the front page of getoffus.com for the story, it will be up sometime Saturday.

This was also the first time since making the trek to Clinton, S.C. for the UCA-Presbyterian playoff football game that we have been on the road to cover a game.

And in typical Echo Sports fashion the trip involved an odd circumstance. The first odd circumstance isn't really that odd at all, both of us having not eaten dinner, we had to stop at the Doublebee's in El Paso for some chicken strips.

Ray Tucker had suggested the chicken strips at this particular Doublebee's over the airwaves on DriveTime Sports one day, and he is a man of his word. As far as gas-station chicken strips go, these were quite tasty. And you can't beat a gas-station burrito either. Yum.

Then we got back on the road and were making good time until traffic just all of the sudden slowed to a creep and blue lights could be seen up ahead. There was a wreck, that either involved about 10 vehicles, or there were just a lot of folks offering up help.

Either way this set us back a little bit and also set at least one person back a little as they were loading him/her into the ambulance as we drove by.

What you want to avoid while on the road.

But for a wreck, the traffic situation was handled very well. It could have been a lot worse.

So we arrived to the game a few minutes late. And maybe the first time ever we were late because of something other than getting lost.

Progress. Thing of beauty.