CONWAY — After opening Southland Conference play with a 58-50 win at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Thursday, the Sugar Bears return to the Farris Center for their next three, beginning with Southeastern Louisiana Sunday at 1:00pm in the first half of a doubleheader with the Bears and Lions to follow.
The Sugar Bears (8-4, 1-0) face a Lady Lions squad that has struggled this season, compiling a 1-11 record with their lone victory a two-point win over Bethune-Cookman, and their 11 losses coming by an average of 20.6 points per game.
Southeastern ranked 335th out of 345 Division I teams in scoring margin, and is 334th in scoring defense, allowing 77.6 points per game. The Sugar Bears, who have held three straight opponents to 50 or fewer points, rank 2nd in the nation in scoring defense, giving up just 50.3 per game for the season.
The Sugar Bears swept the season series from the Lady Lions last year and have won the last seven overall against Southeastern. The Sugar Bears scored a 78-64 victory in Hammond, La., and won 77-55 in the Farris Center.
The Lady Lions are led by 5-foot-7 senior guard Taylin Underwood, who ranks 2nd in the Southland in scoring at 18.6 points per game and leads the league with 3.5 3-pointers per game – which ranks 13th nationally. Jyar Francis, a 6-1 forward, is the Lions' second-leading scorer at 10 points per game in her five games.
For the Sugar Bears, senior forward
Taylor Baudoin leads the way at 14.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, and is shooting 54.6 percent from the field for the season. She has scored in double figures in 11 straight games, including registering at least 20 for the third time this season in Thursday's win at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. In her last three games, Baudoin is shooting 66.7 percent (22 of 33) from the floor.
Kamry Orr is averaging 13.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting 41.2 percent from 3-point range, and
Kierra Jordan is coming off her second double-double of the season with 11 points and 13 rebounds on Thursday.
The Sugar Bears will be looking to make it 32 of their last 35 in the Farris Center going back to the start of the 2015-16 season. Sunday's game begins a three-game homestand that also brings Sam Houston State and Lamar to town on Wednesday and Saturday.
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NOTES
• The Sugar Bears are 15-7 all-time against the Lady Lions, having won the last 7 by an average of 14.3 points with only one game decided by fewer than 10 points
• The Sugar Bears are 9-2 against the Lady Lions in Conway
• In last year's meetings, the Sugar Bears won by an average of 18 points
• Kierra Jordan averaged 19 points and 7 rebounds against the Lady Lions last season, shooting 60 percent (15 of 25) from the field
• SLU's Taylin Underwood averaged 20.5 points and 7.5 rebounds, making six 3s, agains the Sugar Bears last season
• In their last two games, against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and North Dakota State, the Sugar Bears are shooting 48.5 percent (16 of 33) from 3-point range
• Over their last four games, the Sugar Bears have out rebounded each of their opponents, totaling +18 against South Alabama, Clemson, North Dakota State and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
• The Sugar Bears are 37-4 (.902) vs Southland teams since the start of the 2016 conference season
• The Sugar Bears were 21-1 (.955) against Southland teams away from the Farris Center the past two seasons, including 17-1 (.944) in true road games
• In their 12th season in the league, the Sugar Bears have an all-time Southland record of 114-73 (.610) in the regular season
• Over the last 8+ seasons, in which the Sugar Bears have been the league's winningest program averaging 21.3 wins per season, they are 99-40 (.712) in Southland play
