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LAKE CHARLES, La. — Central Arkansas will play its final road game of the season on Saturday as the Sugar Bears take on two-time defending Southland Conference tournament champion McNeese State on the Cowgirls' Senior Day at Burton Coliseum.
The Sugar Bears (14-13, 7-9 Southland) will be looking for their first win this season against the Cowgirls (15-11, 10-5), who won the first meeting 77-61 in the Farris Center in January. The Cowgirls sit a game behind Lamar and Sam Houston State for the league lead, while the Sugar Bears are in sixth, half a game ahead of Northwestern State and Stephen F. Austin, who are both 6-9.
The two teams have gone to overtime in each of the past two seasons, with the Sugar Bears winning by one in each of those games, including a two-overtime game in the Farris Center last season. Though Central Arkansas leads the series 9-5, the teams have split the last six meetings. The Cowgirls' last two wins over the Sugar Bears have been by 16 and 21 points, with the latter coming in the finals of the Southland Conference tournament two seasons ago. The Sugar Bears won last year's meeting in Lake Charles, walking out with a 64-53 victory in Burton Coliseum, and are 3-2 all-time against the Cowgirls in Lake Charles.
The Cowgirls will be playing their final home game with the all-conference guard tandem of twins Ashlyn and Caitlyn Baggett, who have led the Cowgirls to 81 wins and two NCAA tournaments. The pair combined for 32 points, 9 rebounds, 14 assists and 5 steals in the first meeting this season. Ashlyn is the Southland's third-leading scorer at 18.5 points per game and Caitlyn is eighth at 14.5. Caitlyn Baggett leads the league in free throw percentage and is fourth in assists, while Ashlyn is second in 3-point percentage (.410) and first in 3-pointers made.
The Cowgirls also feature junior forward Cecilia Okoye, who averages 8.2 points and a team-best 7.0 rebounds per game. Okoye had 21 points on 10 of 13 shooting against the Sugar Bears earlier this season.
The Sugar Bears got 23 points in that game from senior Desiree' Rogers, who reached the 1,000 mark for her career in Thursday's loss at Lamar. Rogers becomes the 22nd Sugar Bear to reach that milestone.
Senior Megan Herbert, coming off a 19-point, 11-rebound effort against the Lady Cardinals, is the leading scorer in Southland Conference games at 20.3 per contest, is second in rebounding at 11.4 and has 11 double-doubles in league play. In eight career games against the Cowgirls, Herbert has averaged 19.3 points and 11.4 rebounds with six double-doubles.
Following Saturday's game with the Cowgirls, the Sugar Bears return home for their final game of the regular season and last home game in the careers of seniors Herbert, Rogers, Britney Gowans, Chantel Moss and Tracey Parsons next Saturday against Oral Roberts.
