Box Score
MOREHEAD, Ky. — Going against a Morehead State team that broke the NCAA Division I record for 3-point field goals made in a season last year, Central Arkansas fed the Eagles a dose of their own medicine early – hitting back-to-back shots from outside to jump ahead 10-4 in the opening minutes of Friday's meeting between the teams.
Unfortunately for the Sugar Bears, not much went right after that point.
The Eagles outscored the Sugar Bears 30-9 over the next 15:21, limiting UCA to a single field goal and two free throws during a stretch of 13:10, and followed that with an 8-0 run to start the second half and were never tested down the stretch as they cruised to a 69-48 win over the Sugar Bears in the opening night of the Comfort Inn and Suites Classic at Ellis T Johnson Arena.
Led by reigning Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year Chynna Bozeman, the Eagles (1-2) lived up to their billing and utilized a barrage of 3-pointers to take command of the game. Bozeman, who hit an NCAA-best 121 from beyond the arc a year ago, knocked down five on Friday night en route to a game-high 18 points and the Eagles hit 10 in all. Half of those came in the game-seizing run in the first half, with Bozeman connecting on three and Courtney Lumpkin – who finished with 16 points – and Linda Dixon each knocking down one. The Eagles also dominated the glass during that period, holding a 17-7 rebounding edge.
The Sugar Bears (1-2) struggled to find an answer as they hit just 34.6 percent from the floor in the first half and were limited to only four free throw attempts, making two. UCA came in averaging 28 attempts per game.
MSU stymied UCA sophomore forward Megan Herbert, keeping the Sugar Bears' leading scorer without a field goal until just 1:13 remained in the half. Herbert, who came in averaging 22 points, had just three at the half.
Herbert's lone field goal of the half and a driving layup from freshman center Courtney Duever cut the UCA deficit to 11 at the half as the Eagles took a 34-23 lead into the locker room.
It was more of the same in the second half as the Eagles needed just more than two minutes to get a pair of 3-pointers from Bozeman and a layup from Ashar Harris, who added 14 points, to blow the game open.
UCA looked for a moment like it might make a move as junior guard Sidney Stewart knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to cut the deficit to 13, but the Sugar Bears drew no closer.
After the second of Stewart's scores made the score 44-31 MSU strung together another group of baskets to extend the lead to 24 at 57-33 with just 7:26 to go, putting to rest any hopes of a Sugar Bear comeback.
Stewart led UCA in scoring for the second consecutive game and was the only Sugar Bear to crack double figures, finishing with 16 points. Herbert was held to single-digit scoring for just the third time in her career, getting eight points to go with seven rebounds – only the second time in 32 games she hasn't recorded at least 10. Junior point guard Destinee Rogers added eight points, all in the first half.
UCA finished 16-for-49 (32.7 percent) from the field and shot just 10-for-20 (50 percent) from the free throw line. MSU hit at a 45.5 percent clip (25 of 55) from the floor and was 10-for-28 (35.7 percent) from beyond the arc.
Harris led all rebounders with 11 as the Eagles held a 42-29 advantage.
It was the first win of the season for the Eagles, playing their home opener after beginning the season with losses at No. 9 Kentucky and No. 12 Notre Dame. MSU finished 22-11 last season – their best Division I season ever – and was 14-4 in OVC play, finishing second.
The loss was the first time the Sugar Bears have been held to less than 50 points since scoring 46 at Stephen F. Austin in February of 2009, a span of 32 games.
The Sugar Bears will play their second game of the tournament Saturday at 4 p.m. against Norfolk State, a 60-50 winner over Houston Baptist earlier on Friday.
