CONWAY — Last season, the Sugar Bears defeated McNeese three times – sweeping the regular season meetings by an average of 19 points per game before eliminating the Cowgirls in the semifinals of the Southland Conference tournament 72-64 en route to the Sugar Bears' first tournament title.
They'll have a chance to make it four straight on Wednesday as the Cowgirls come to town for the first time under first-year head coach Kacie Cryer, a former McNeese assistant for seven seasons who took the reigns of the program when former coach Brooks Donald Williams left following last season to take an assistant coaching position at Alabama.
With the change on the sideline, the Cowgirls – one of the Southland's most successful programs over the last several years, entering this season behind only the Sugar Bears (11-4, 3-2 Southland) in wins among Southland teams since 2009-10 – have seen little change in the results, as they are off to a 4-1 start in Southland play, in a second-place tie with Lamar and Abilene Christian behind 5-0 Stephen F. Austin.
At 9-7 overall, the Cowgirls' losses have come to Louisiana, Tulane, La. Tech, TCU, Alabama and Pitt in non-conference, with their lone Southland loss coming in the form of a 96-65 rout at the hands of SFA on Jan. 2.
Since then, they have responded with three straight wins, beating Sam Houston State and Houston Baptist by a combined 38 before outlasting Southeastern Louisiana 86-83 in overtime on Sunday.
The Cowgirls are among the Southland's most prolific offensive units, averaging 73.2 points in conference games and 74.2 for the season, third in the Southland, just 0.6 points per game behind league leader Lamar.
Nearly 19 of those 73.2 points per game have come at the free throw line, where the Cowgirls are tied for second in conference play with 93 made through five games. The Cowgirls have attempted 126 free throws – 25.2 per game – in their league games, compared to just 84 attempts (16.8 per game) for the Sugar Bears, who have made 61 of those (12.2 per game).
McNeese has only one player averaging double figures in scoring – Victoria Rachal at 10.3 per game – but have seven averaging more than 7.5. Among the league leaders in rebounding margin at +7.2 (2nd behind only Abilene Christian), the Cowgirls have three players averaging more than 5 rebounds per game, with Frederica Haywood averaging 9.6 to go with her 7.9 points per game; and Mercedes Rogers averaging 8.2 in addition to her 8.8 points per game.
The Cowgirls have connected on 113 of their 358 3-point attempts this season (31.6 percent), with five players having made at least 14 from long range. By contrast, the Sugar Bears have made 54 of their 169 attempts (32 percent), with
Maggie Proffitt (28) and
Brianna Mullins (11), the only ones to make more than 10, with
Maddie Goodner next at 8.
The Sugar Bears continue to rank among the national leaders in scoring defense – 5th at 52.4 points per game allowed; field goal percentage – 10th, 47.4; and field goal percentage defense – 18th, 35 percent.
As part of Wednesday night's festivities, the UCA Athletic Department will be collecting donations and raffling off a bicycle donated by Coca-Cola as part of a fundraising effort along with Aramark to put new shoes on the feet of 500 needy Conway children through a partnership with Samaritan's Feet. Any donation will be accepted, and donations of $5 will be good for a ticket for the bicycle raffle.
After Wednesday's game, three of the Sugar Bears' next four games will be on the road with trips to New Orleans, Stephen F. Austin and McNeese around a meeting with Incarnate Word in the Farris Center on Jan. 28.
