CONWAY — Central Arkansas will look to match its longest winning streak as a Division I program when the Southland-leading Sugar Bears go for their 11th straight tonight in the Farris Center against Sam Houston State.
Tip is set for 7:00pm, with broadcast beginning at 6:40 on the
Bear Nation Network and
91.3 FM The Bear.
The Sugar Bears (19-4, 11-2 Southland), coming off a 61-52 win at Nicholls for their 10th in a row and the 500th in the career of head coach Sandra Rushing, will be gunning for their 5th 20-win season in the last eight years – which would be the most in the Southland during that span.
They meet up with a Sam Houston State squad that is just 2-20 on the season and 2-10 in conference games, with both coming over their last five games, including their most recent – a 78-63 win over Houston Baptist on Saturday.
Central Arkansas will be seeking its eighth straight win against the Bearkats, having won seven in a row since a 2013 loss in Huntsville. The teams met three times last season, including a pair of regular season meetings four days apart and a clash in the championship game of the Southland Conference Tournament in Katy, Texas. The Sugar Bears won that game 69-62 for their first league tournament crown and trip to the NCAA Tournament in Division I.
In that game, the Sugar Bears got six free throws in the final 30 seconds from Maggie Proffitt – including four and a defensive rebound in the final 22 seconds after the lead had been cut to three – to hold off the Bearkats.
Brianna Mullins had 17 points in that game to lead the Sugar Bears, while Proffitt had 11 to go with tying for the team lead with 7 rebounds. Taylor Baudoin had 6 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks in 16 minutes; and Olivia McWilliams had 6 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal in just 9 minutes.
While the Sugar Bears return six of the nine players who played in that game, the Bearkats have just four of their 10 back this season – missing eight of their top nine scorers from a year ago.
Their lone returning starter is Jasmine McCants, who averages 8.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Jenniffer Oramas leads the Bearkats at 8.5 per game, while Lydia Baxter is their top rebounder, hauling in 6.4 per contest.
The Bearkats enter tonight's game winless in 14 games away from home this season. It will be their second trip to the state of Arkansas this season, as they opened the year with a 71-39 loss in Fayetteville to the University of Arkansas.
The Sugar Bears, meanwhile, will be looking for their 27th win in their last 34 home conference games, sitting at 26-7 (.788) since 2014. Over the last two seasons, the Sugar Bears are 47-8 (.854) overall and 27-4 (.871) in Southland games.
Central Arkansas enters tonight's game ranked 6th nationally in scoring defense as 53.4 points per game; 8th in field goal percentage at 47.3; 16th in scoring margin at 15.4; and 17th in opponent field goal percentage at 35.4.
Tonight's game is the first of two at home this week as the Sugar Bears host Houston Baptist on Saturday. The final home game of the season will be a Senior Day doubleheader vs Stephen F. Austin on Feb. 25, which will be carried on ESPN3.
