CONWAY — For the second straight season the last remaining unbeaten in Southland Conference play came into the Farris Center looking to extend its lead in the league race. For the second straight season, they left disappointed.
Megan Herbert scored on a putback off a Courtney Duever shot with 13 seconds left, then Central Arkansas clamped down on defense and McNeese State's last-second shot attempt wouldn't fall as the Sugar Bears knocked off the Cowgirls 74-73 in overtime to deal McNeese its first Southland loss of the season.
"That's a big-time win against a big-time team," said UCA head coach Matt Daniel. "They do a great job, they're well coached, play with a purpose and they're rough. They're warriors. But we were fortunate enough to come out with a win today. We got a stop when we needed one, got a bucket when we needed one and I'm just real proud of the kids' effort."
After knocking off 7-0 Lamar in February of last year, the Sugar Bears (13-7, 5-2 Southland) scored a similar win on Saturday – ending the Cowgirls' (14-6, 6-1) seven-game winning streak and putting an end to their unblemished conference record.
The Sugar Bears nearly had the win secured in regulation, but a step-back 3-pointer from McNeese State sophomore guard Caitlyn Baggett with 5.8 seconds tied the game at 64. Micah Rice's rushed 3-point attempt at the buzzer was off the mark, sending the game into overtime.
The Sugar Bears struck first in overtime on a putback by Duever, who had her first career double-double with career highs of 20 points and 12 rebounds. After a Martika Hull layup on a long outlet tied the game again, Rice knocked down a runner to give UCA a two-point advantage again with 3:17 to play.
The teams went scoreless for the next minute, with Hull once again drawing the Cowgirls even with two minutes left when she put back a miss by Ashlyn Baggett. Duever then drilled a 3 with 1:20 left to put UCA ahead 71-68, but Caitlyn Baggett had the answer on the other end as she drew contact on a layup and completed the three-point play with 1:09 remaining.
On the other end, Duever followed her miss off a 3-pointer from the corner and was fouled on the way up by Hull. She hit one of the two free throws to put the Sugar Bears ahead 72-71 with 52 seconds left. Ne'Aisha Anderson gave the Cowgirls the edge with 27 seconds to go, knocking down a runner in the lane.
It was on UCA's ensuing possession that Herbert – who played the entire overtime and final 5:23 of regulation with four fouls after a charge call that was initially ruled a block by one official – was able to get in position and slide underneath for the offside rebound on Duever's miss, and put it back in for the game-winner.
With the last possession, Anderson took a shot from beyond the arc on the right wing with eight seconds to go that bounded off the left side. Two Sugar Bears were there at the same time for the rebound, but both hit the ball and it skirted out of bounds to give McNeese one last opportunity with 4.6 seconds left.
After a timeout, inbounding underneath the basket, the Cowgirls worked the ball in and got it to Ashlyn Baggett – the leading scorer in league play at 21.2 points per game – whose shot missed the mark. The ball was tipped around and McNeese couldn't get another crack at it as time expired.
Herbert finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds, giving the Sugar Bears two players with double-doubles in the same game for the first time since Herbert and Desiree' Rogers accomplished it in a win over Sam Houston State on Feb. 6 last season. It was the first time since January of last season that two Sugar Bears scored 20.
It was the 40th double-double in 49 games for Herbert, who had her sixth 20-point game of the season.
Rice added 15 and Nakeia Guiden added 12 for the Sugar Bears, who were playing shorthanded without sophomore guard Westin Taylor who was out due to illness.
Caitlyn Baggett led the Cowgirls with a season-high 19. Kiara Johnson had season highs of 17 points and 14 rebounds in the loss. Ashlyn Baggett added 11 and Raiyawna Gatlin had 10.
It was the third straight meeting in Conway between the teams that came down to the wire. Two seasons ago UCA needed a pair of free throws with seven seconds left to get a 71-69 win. Last season McNeese battled back from a 17-point halftime deficit but the Sugar Bears held on 81-77.
The Sugar Bears have now taken three in a row and four of five from the Cowgirls and hold a 7-2 lead in the series.
Midway through the second half it looked as though the Cowgirls would put an end to UCA's streak as they went on a 12-2 run with both Baggetts on the bench in foul trouble to take a 58-50 lead with the Sugar Bears mired in a four-minute drought.
The Sugar Bears had cut the lead in half a couple moments later after four free throws from Guiden, but McNeese got back on the board after Daniel was hit with a technical foul. Caitlyn Baggett hit one of the two free throws, then came back a few seconds later with a pull-up jumper to extend the lead back out to seven.
A three-point play by Duever, a pull-up jumper at the end of the shot clock by Rice and then two free throws from Herbert pulled the Sugar Bears back into a tie at 61-all with 2:08 to play.
"I get the technical and Destinee (Rogers) comes to me and says 'don't get kicked out – we need you'," Daniel said. "I said 'you don't need me, y'all know what the game plan is so go execute it. I'm out of here. But she calmed me down. It went into overtime, and I said 'I need a favor. I put you in a bad spot and gave up a point – I need you to bail me out. And I'll be dogged if they didn't do just that."
