LUBBOCK, Texas — Following Monday's 94-47 win over Central Baptist, the Sugar Bears are riding a five-game winning streak in which they have won by an average of 39.2 points per game. The competition gets tougher tonight as Central Arkansas looks to extend its streak to six, taking on the Texas Tech Lady Raiders at 5:30pm in Lubbock.
The Sugar Bears (6-1) will be facing a Big 12 team for the sixth time, having lost each of their previous five meetings vs Texas Tech, Kansas State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. In the only previous meeting between the Sugar Bears and Lady Raiders, Texas Tech came away with a 76-43 win on Nov. 26, 2011. Tonight's game will be the first meeting with a Big 12 foe for the Sugar Bears since they lost to eventual champion Oklahoma State 72-51 in the first round of the 2012 WNIT.
The Lady Raiders (5-3) are undefeated at home this season, having beaten North Dakota, New Mexico, Prairie View A&M and Houston inside United Supermarkets Arena. Tech's losses this season have come at Arkansas (66-60), No. 21 Miami (74-56) and in overtime at No. 24 Texas A&M (98-90). The Aggies defeated the Sugar Bears 74-49 four days prior.
The Lady Raiders average 74.1 points per game, but will be facing the nation's No. 1 scoring defense in the Sugar Bears, who are giving up just 46.4 points per game. In addition to leading the country in scoring defense, the Sugar Bears also rank 7th in scoring margin (+29.0); 9th in opponent field goal percentage (.319); fifth in assists per game (21.1); and also lead the country in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.74.
The Sugar Bears are led in assists by senior guard
Brianna Mullins, who is averaging 4.7 per game so far this season, and enters today's game with 310 for her career – one short of tying and two from passing Micah Rice for the program's Division I era career record.
Three Lady Raiders average double figures in scoring this season, led by 5-foot-8 sophomore guard Recee' Caldwell – playing her first season at Tech after transferring from UCLA – at 18.4 points per game. Jada Terry, a 6-4 junior center – averages 14.4 and a team-high 7.6 rebounds, also playing in her first season with the Lady Raiders after transferring from Texas A&M. Freshman guard Arella Guirantes contributes 13.8 points per contest.
The Sugar Bears have four players averaging double figures, with
Maggie Proffitt at 14.3, Taylor Strickland 13.1 and
Taylor Baudoin 12.1 points per game.
Kierra Jordan had 16 on Monday in her first game as a Sugar Bear, eligible after transferring from Southern Miss last season.
Four more Sugar Bears are averaging more than 6 points per game, with Mullins scoring 8.9 per game while leading the team with 4.7 assists and 2.1 steals per game.
Raquel Logan has added 7.3 points and a team-high 7.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks while tying Mullins for the team lead in steals.
Cera Ledbetter has scored 6.3 points in 10.8 minutes per game in her four games this season, while freshman guard
Maddie Goodner is averaging 6.2 points while shooting a team-best 50 percent from 3-point range.
Following today's game, the Sugar Bears will round out their non-conference slate with games against Liberty and Houston in neutral-site contests next week at UTSA before beginning Southland Conference play in the Farris Center on Dec. 31 against Lamar.
