CONWAY — Hendrix College got off to a blistering start against Central Arkansas on Friday night – hitting eight of its first 10 shots – and hung with its Division I crosstown counterpart through the first half, but the Sugar Bears ultimately proved too strong for the Warriors and cruised to a season-opening 93-66 win in the Farris Center.
Sophomore forward Megan Herbert, last season's Southland Conference Freshman of the Year, had 24 points and 14 rebounds to lead the way for the Sugar Bears.
Leading 39-29 at the half, UCA (1-0) kicked off the second half with a 22-7 run to pull ahead by 25 and distance itself from Hendrix with just under 13 minutes remaining. Hendrix chipped away over the next several minutes and cut the UCA lead down to 13 and trailed 73-60 with 5:26 to play.
The Sugar Bears seized the momentum and dominated the final five minutes, closing it out with a 20-6 run. A three-pointer from sophomore forward Westin Taylor followed by two free throws from Herbert and a layup by junior guard Sidney Stewart gave UCA a 20-point lead just under the four-minute mark.
Leading 80-60, UCA tacked on 10 points in the next 1:45 with three-pointers from Taylor and sophomore guard Micah Rice, along with a steal and layup from Herbert and a score from Desiree' Rogers. Stewart finished off UCA's scoring with another three-pointer with 1:34 remaining.
UCA finished with four scorers in double figures, with Rogers and Rice each going for 14 and Stewart – playing her first game at UCA after transferring from Louisiana Tech – adding 11 in addition to Herbert's 24.
Stewart also added seven rebounds, led the team with four assists and added a pair of blocks. Taylor paced UCA with three blocks and Rogers had four of the team's 16 steals. In all, UCA forced Hendrix into 27 turnovers while committing 15.
Herbert, who led the Southland Conference in free throw percentage last season, picked up where she left off last season by going 12-for-13 at the line. Her 24 points and 14 rebounds makes the 28th double-double of her 30-game collegiate career.
The Sugar Bears will turn around and leave Conway at 8 a.m. on Saturday to head to Tuscaloosa to take on the University of Alabama at 2 p.m. Sunday. It will be the first meeting against an SEC opponent for UCA since a 104-63 loss to Ole Miss in Oxford on Dec. 17, 2006.
