NACOGDOCHES, Texas — On Saturday, the Sugar Bears soundly defeated Abilene Christian, the team with which they shared last season's Southland Conference regular season championship.

On Wednesday, they'll try for a similar performance against the team leading the race for this year's.

Sitting at 7-1 in Southland play, the Sugar Bears (14-5) find themselves in second place in the league standings but with a chance to climb back to the top at the midway point of the conference slate as they travel to Stephen F. Austin to take on the last team standing undefeated in conference play.

The Ladyjacks (14-3), off since beating Abilene Christian 66-55 last Wednesday, are a perfect 6-0 in Southland games and have the league's longest active winning streak at 8. Their last loss came Dec. 9, a 59-54 overtime loss at Montana State to end an 0-for-2 trip through Big Sky Country that also included a 60-52 loss at Montana.

Since then, 6 of their 8 wins have been by double digits – including five by an average of 25.8 points in William R. Johnson Coliseum, where the Ladyjacks are 9-0 this season while scoring 82.7 points per game and giving up just 49.6

In all, the 'Jacks have won their last 11 at home and are 21-2 over the last two seasons – a .913 winning percentage. Something must give on Wednesday, however, as the Sugar Bears come in having won 11 straight Southland games on the road and are 24-1 (.960) in road and neutral Southland games since the 2015-16 season – including a pair of wins in Nacogdoches, where they'd come up empty in their first six trips.

The Sugar Bears' last meeting with SFA came in Katy, Texas in the championship game of last season's Southland Conference tournament, when the Sugar Bears held the 'Jacks to a tournament championship record low point total in a 60-35 victory.

Though the 'Jacks lead the series 11-8 – one of only two Southland programs with winning records against the Sugar Bears – the last four have gone the Sugar Bears' way, winning a pair of close ones in Nacogdoches (55-53 in '16, 67-63 in '17) and a 12-point victory in Conway last year before the lopsided win in the tournament.

SFA comes in with the league's No. 3 scoring offense, averaging 72.5 points per game in league play. The Sugar Bears sport the conference's top defense, allowing just 45.0 points per game in Southland games and 48.1 per game for the season – 2nd in the nation. The Sugar Bears are 2nd in the Southland in scoring margin at +14.8 per game in conference games and SFA 3rd at 10.3.

The 'Jacks are led by senior forward Stevi Parker, who averages 12.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game for the season – the only Southland player averaging a double-double. In conference play, Parker is averaging 12 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Last season she averaged 11.3 points and 6.7 rebounds in three games against the Sugar Bears.

Taylor Jackson has been the 'Jacks leading scorer in conference play at 13.5 points per game, averaging 9.6 for the season. Channell Hayes averages 10.9.

The game will feature the Southland's top three 3-point shooters, with UCA's Antonija Bozic connecting at a league-best 53.3 percent in conference play and Kamry Orr 3rd at 47.2, with SFA's Marissa Banfield 2nd at 47.4 percent. Orr leads the Southland for the season at 41.5 percent, with Bozic 4th at 38.5.

For the Sugar Bears, Kierra Jordan – who has had 6 double-doubles through 8 conference games – is averaging 12.9 points and a league-best 11.4 rebounds in Southland games. Orr ranks 5th in scoring at 16.0 per game, and Taylor Baudoin is 9th in scoring at 14.9 and 9th in rebounding with 7.6 per game.

Jordan averaged 17.7 points and 9.3 rebounds against the 'Jacks last season and Baudoin 14.3 and 8.0.

After Wednesday's game, the Sugar Bears head to Natchitoches, La. to face Northwestern State on Saturday, then finish their road swing at Southeastern Louisiana on Feb. 3 before returning to the Farris Center against Houston Baptist on Feb. 7. The Sugar Bears and Ladyjacks meet again in Conway on Feb. 21.

FOLLOW
• Radio broadcast on The Bear 91.3 and streaming online with pregame beginning at 6:40
• Watch on ESPN3 (SFA institutional broadcast)
• Live Stats
• Follow @ucasports, @ucascoreboard and @ucawbb on Twitter

NOTES
• The Sugar Bears have held 9 of their last 10 opponents to 50 or fewer points, allowing just 45.2 per game during that span
• SFA is 14-0 this season when scoring 60 or more points. The Sugar Bears are 14-1 when allowing fewer than 60
• Though SFA leads the series 11-8 overall, the Sugar Bears lead 6-4 under head coach Sandra Rushing, including all four meetings against SFA under Mark Kellogg