The Central Arkansas Sugar Bears return to action today as they host Southeast Missouri State at 2 p.m. in the Farris Center.
Winners of four of their last five games, the Sugar Bears (4-3) look to continue their streak today against a 2-5 Redhawks team that has dropped five of its last six, the lone win a 70-65 victory at Bradley on Nov. 30. SEMO had a near-miss at Ole Miss on Nov. 25, losing 58-57 on a buzzer-beating layup, and dropped their most recent game 79-62 at home to Western Illinois.
Both teams enter today's game averaging 59.3 points, with UCA allowing 53.6 per game and SEMO 68.6. The Redhawks have struggled from the free throw line this season, averaging just 60.9 percent as a team, while the Sugar Bears have thrived – making 80.9 percent.
In stark contrast to the Sugar Bears, the Redhawks feature a veteran lineup that includes four seniors and a junior in the starting unit, and seven seniors and juniors in all. The last three games, UCA has started three sophomores in
Kelsey McClure,
Brianna Mullins and
Maggie Proffitt, a transfer junior in
Kendara Watts, and second-year transfer senior
Brittany Agee.
The Redhawks are the Sugar Bears' third opponent this season from the Ohio Valley Conference, with UCA having suffered a pair of losses to Eastern Kentucky (56-55) and Jacksonville State (63-54). UCA is 2-3 all-time against Southeast Missouri, including a 1-3 mark as Division I teams, winning the most recent meeting 72-64 in Conway in December of 2009.
Senior guard Jasmine Robinson, an Alabama transfer, averages 11.3 points per game for the Redhawks, while 5-11 junior forward Erin Bollman averages 6.9 points and 6.9 rebounds. Connor King, a 6-2 junior forward, is the team's leading rebounder at 8.6 per game and also adds 5.3 points per contest.
Proffitt tops the Sugar Bears in scoring at 14 points per game, while Watts averages 12.1 – including a 14.8 average over the previous five games – and Mullins averages 10.6. That trio is shooting a combined 41.1 percent (37 of 90) from 3-point range, with Proffitt leading the way with 20 3-point field goals on the season.
The game is UCA's last contest before breaking for final exams next week. The Sugar Bears return to action next Sunday, Dec. 14, at Georgia Tech. before finishing out the non-conference season at home against Williams Baptist on Dec. 16, Blue Mountain on Dec. 19, and Austin Peay on Dec. 30.
