CONWAY — The Southland Conference-leading Sugar Bears return to the Farris Center for two games this week beginning with Southeastern Louisiana at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday before hosting Southland newcomer New Orleans at 2 p.m. on Saturday for an ESPN3 broadcast.
The Sugar Bears (13-7, 7-2 Southland) are 8-3 in the Farris Center this season and have won their last five by an average of 14 points per game. The Lady Lions (6-14, 5-3) enter at 2-10 on the road for the season, though they are even at 2-2 in conference road games.
LINKS
Video Stream with KUCA radio broadcast (begins 5:10)
Live Stats
UCA Game Notes
Southeastern Game Notes
THE SERIES
The Sugar Bears lead the all-time series 8-7, with an 8-6 mark as Southland foes (the first matchup came in 1977, a 132-50 Southeastern win). UCA has won 4 of the last 6, though Southeastern has taken 2 of the last 3. The Lady Lions won last year's meeting in Conway 70-64. In that game, Courtney Duever had 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Sugar Bears. Elizabeth Styles had 16 points and Nanna Pool 12 for the Lady Lions, who scored 24 points off 21 Sugar Bear turnovers that day. Duever averaged 15.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in the two meetings last season.
LAST TIME OUT
UCA
The Sugar Bears built a lead as large as 17 in the first half and led by 15 at the break, but could not get anything going in the second half as they fell 69-60 on the road at Nicholls. The Colonels outscored the Sugar Bears 43-19 in the second half to claw back and end the Sugar Bears' winning streak at five games. Five Sugar Bears scored in double figures in the game, led by Courtney Duever's 13 points and 8 rebounds. Kelsey McClure, Brianna Mullins, Micah Rice and Terai Sadler each had 11, with Rice scoring 10 in the 1st half to eclipse the 1,000-point mark for her career.
SLU
The Lady Lions routed winless New Orleans 84-55 to drop the Privateers to 0-20 for the season and 0-9 in conference play. Five players reached double digits in scoring for Southeastern, led by Nanna Pool's 21 points and 17 rebounds. Symone Miller and Annessa De La Cruz had 17 apiece, Elizabeth Styles added 15 and Erica Hernandez 10. The Lady Lions were 26 of 32 (81.3 percent) at the free throw line, and held UNO to 18 of 63 (28.6 percent) from the field.
STATISTICAL MATCHUPS OF NOTE
- Two of the league's top rebounders square off with Southeastern's Nanna Pool ranking 2nd in the league overall and 1st in Southland games with averages of 9.9 and 11.0. Courtney Duever is 4th overall and 3rd in Southland play at 9.2 and 10.3
- The Lady Lions are 2nd in conference play in scoring at 72.4 points per game. The Sugar Bears are the league's stingiest defense, surrendering just 55.8 points per contest.
- The league's top two free throw shooting teams will be on display, with the Lady Lions shooting a league-best 76.3 percent and the Sugar Bears just behind at 75.9.
MICAH'S MILESTONES
Micah Rice reached the 1,000-point milestone last weekend at Nicholls, making her the 5th Sugar Bear of the Division I era and 24th overall to reach the mark. She becomes the 5th player off the 2012 Southland Conference championship team to eclipse 1,000. They are:
1. Megan Herbert - 2,329
2. Courtney Duever - 1,150
3. Nakeia Guiden - 1,034
4. Desiree' Rogers - 1,025
5. Micah Rice - 1,004
Rice also moved into 3rd place in school history with 159 career 3-pointers made. She also recently passed former teammates Guiden and Destinee Rogers to move into 9th in school history in assists with 295. Her 188 steals put her 7th on the Sugar Bears' all-time list, 11 behind UCA Sports Hall of Fame member Angela Watson.
