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PURCHASE TICKETS

CONWAY — The Central Arkansas women's basketball program will officially begin its new era under head coach Sandra Rushing tonight at 7 p.m. when the Sugar Bears host Oklahoma Wesleyan in the 2012-13 season opener.

After going 24-7 and winning the Southland Conference championship last season, the Sugar Bears begin the new year in the Farris Center where they were 16-0 last season and are 42-6 (.875) over the last three seasons.

The Sugar Bears return three starters and seven lettermen from last season's team including five seniors and one junior. In addition to returning seniors Britney Gowans, Megan Hebert, Chantel Moss, Micah Rice and Desiree' Rogers, the Sugar Bears have added a sixth senior in guard Tracey Parsons, a graduate transfer from the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith.

UCA is expected to start a veteran lineup of four seniors and a junior with Courtney Duever joining the senior group of Herbert, Rogers, Rice and Gowans.

The Lady Eagles, who compete in the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference in the NAIA, were 16-15 overall last season and 9-5 in the MCAC, finishing in a tie for second in the league standings.

OWU is led by 5-foot-10 junior guard Megan Jones, who has averaged 15.5 points in the Lady Eagles' two games so far this season. OWU lost 62-56 to Friends (Kan.) and defeated St. Gregory's (Okla.) 66-64 on Tuesday.

It will be the only home game until Dec. 4 for the Sugar Bears, who will play their next four on the road at Southern Illinois (Nov. 13), Alcorn State (Nov. 16), Louisiana Tech (Nov. 20) and UT-Martin (Dec. 1).