MARTIN, Tenn. — After trailing by just five at halftime, a slow start to the second half cost Central Arkansas on Saturday as UT Martin outscored the Sugar Bears 21-6 in a seven-minute span and ran away with a 72-48 victory.
The Sugar Bears (3-2) were outscored 44-25 in the second half as the Skyhawks (3-5) shot 58.6 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from 3-point range while limiting UCA to just 38.1 and 14.3 percent.
The Skyhawks outscored the Sugar Bears 34-14 in the paint and scored 24 points off 19 UCA turnovers. In addition to losing the turnover battle 19-13 and allowing the Skyhawks 12 steals, the Sugar Bears were out-rebounded 31-28 for the game with a 19-11 UTM advantage in the second half.
UTM guard Jasmine Newsome led all players with 25 points, matching her output at Hawai'i for her season high. It was the fourth time this season she has scored 24 or more points, getting 24 against both Baylor and Northwestern. Newsome also added five assists and a game-high five steals.
The Skyhawks' Heather Butler, the Skyhawks' leading scorer for the season (20.6 ppg) was held to a season-low 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting. She had scored 23 or more points in four games this season, including 28 against both Baylor and Stanford. She did, however, contribute three steals and a game-high eight assists as the Skyhawks registered 20 on their 28 baskets.
The Sugar Bears were led by 18 points and seven rebounds from Megan Herbert, who was 6-of-8 from the free throw line to move into second place on the Southland Conference career list with 533 made. She is 20 shy of tying UTSA's Angel Singleton, who made 553 from 1995-98, for the conference record.
Micah Rice had eight points and led UCA with four assists, and hit a pair of 3-pointers to pass Westin Taylor and Kristin Frase to move into 4th place on the UCA career list with 140.
The Sugar Bears fall to 1-3 all-time against the Skyhawks, with the lone victory being a 69-65 overtime victory in the Farris Center last season in a meeting of teams that would go on to win their conference titles.
After playing their last four on the road, the Sugar Bears return to the Farris Center Tuesday night against Central Baptist for their first home game since the season opener against Oklahoma Wesleyan on Nov. 9. They will then travel to Jonesboro on Saturday to take on Arkansas State.
