CONWAY — Early in the second quarter on Wednesday, Southeastern Louisiana – which had lost four straight and entered the game 3-16 on the season – found itself up 12 on Central Arkansas, winners of seven straight and 17-2 on the year.

But the window for an upset was resoundingly shuttered as the Sugar Bears outscored the Lady Lions 52-8 over the next 15:40 – including a 36-3 third quarter – to run away from Southeastern for an 80-58 win. 

The win improves the Sugar Bears to 18-2, equaling the highest win total for head coach Sandra Rushing in her four seasons at Central Arkansas with nine regular-season games remaining. In extending their winning streak to eight, the Sugar Bears improve to 8-1 in Southland Conference play and drop the Lady Lions to 3-17 overall and 2-7 in conference games.

After digging themselves a 26-14 hole, the Sugar Bears rallied late in the second quarter, using a 10-0 run to briefly assume the lead at 30-29 before SLU's KaeLynn Boyd scored in the last minute to give the Lady Lions a 31-30 halftime lead.

That would be short-lived, however, as the Sugar Bears came out on a tear in the third quarter, scoring 25 straight points to begin the half over a 6:26 span where they shot 10 of 14 (71.4 percent). They were sparked by junior guard Maggie Proffitt, who scored the first seven and 12 total of those 25, also getting two steals and an assist during that span.

During that stretch, Proffitt – who finished with a game-high 22 points – knocked down her fourth 3-pointer of the night and in doing so reached the 1,000-point mark for her career, becoming the 25th player in program history and just the 6th in the program's Division I era to reach that milestone.

After the 25-point run, the Sugar Bears surrendered one basket – a 3-pointer from SLU's Peaches Anderson – before closing out the quarter with an 11-0 run.

Though Southeastern outscored the Sugar Bears 24-14 in the final frame, it was far too late for the Lady Lions to ever threaten as the Sugar Bears won for the fourth straight time in the series.

The 80 points was the second-highest total of the season for the Sugar Bears, behind only the 93 scored against Crowley's Ridge College. It is the most for Central Arkansas against a Division I opponent this season and the Sugar Bears' highest total in a Southland game since defeating the Lady Lions 80-70 in the Farris Center two years ago.

In the last three games, the Sugar Bears – who have the nation's No. 1 scoring defense at 48.7 points per game – have enjoyed their most prolific offensive stretch in five years, averaging 75 points and scoring over 70 points in three consecutive Southland games for the first time since 2011.

For the game, Central Arkansas shot 46.5 percent and out rebounded the Lady Lions 53-32, including getting 19 offensive rebounds led by Brianna Mullins' five.

Kendara Watts finished with 13 points and a career-high 12 rebounds for her first double-double as a Sugar Bear, and Mullins added 7 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Taylor Baudoin had 9 points and 4 rebounds, Taylor Strickland added 7 points and Sandy Jackson 6 points and 5 rebounds.

The Sugar Bears return to action on Saturday when they host the University of New Orleans at 2:00pm in the first half of a doubleheader with the Bears and Privateers.