CONWAY — Megan Herbert had a season-high 35 points and a game-high 15 rebounds for her 78th career double-double, but Texas A&M-Corpus Christi had just enough to hold off Herbert and the Sugar Bears as Central Arkansas fell 60-58 in overtime on Thursday.
The Sugar Bears (13-11, 6-7 Southland) never led in the game, but battled all the way back after trailing the Islanders (3-20, 2-10) by as many as 19 in the second half – pulling even with 30 seconds left on a turnaround jumper by Courtney Duever.
After the Sugar Bears stopped the Islanders on the final possession of regulation, the teams remained tied for much of the overtime period as they stayed deadlocked at 58 from the 2-minute mark up until the game's final seconds.
Following a UCA turnover with 32 seconds remaining, the Islanders' Taryn Gregory drew a foul against Desiree' Rogers with just over three seconds to go. Gregory hit the second of her two to give the Islanders a 59-58 lead, and the Sugar Bears took a timeout to draw up a final play.
On the inbounds pass, Julia Mason threw the ball three-quarters of the length of the floor attempting to find Herbert, who was surrounded by Islanders. Herbert quickly fouled the Islanders' Brandi Huff with 1.2 seconds to go, and Huff knocked down the second to give the Islanders a two-point cushion.
Herbert had one last desperation heave from well beyond half court, but it narrowly missed the mark and the Sugar Bears fell for the fifth game in a row and first in four times to the Islanders.
Herbert's 15 rebounds gives her 1,373 for her career – third most in Southland Conference history. She needs 16 to pass Joskeen Garner of Northwestern State (1993-96) for second.
Herbert was 12 of 23 from the field, going 3-for-8 from 3-point range, and was perfect in eight free throw attempts. The rest of the Sugar Bears shot just 7 of 29 (24.1 percent), with Rogers contributing nine points, Tracey Parsons six and Duever and Mason four apiece.
Gregory and Ashley Darley each had 12 for the Islanders, and Janae Blount added 10.
The Sugar Bears have just two home games remaining, the next coming Saturday against Sam Houston State, which entered Thursday as the league leader before falling 90-40 at Oral Roberts.
