Beaumont, Texas – The Central Arkansas Bears opened Southland Conference Tournament play on a strong note as they defeated the Northwestern State Lady Demons 5-2 for their 10^th straight win on Wednesday afternoon. Five different Bears found the net in the match and they carried a comfortable 3-0 lead into halftime.
 
Camille Bassett made history after she netted her 40^th career goal in the first half, setting a new program record. She has a chance to set the program record in points on Friday after reaching the record of 93 today. Morgan Rollow and Gracie Hair added the other two goals in the first half while Connie Awuku-Darkoh and Lauren Hargus joined the fun in the second half. Coach Jeremy Bishop was glad his team fought off early nerves in the win.
 
"I think we came out a bit anxious today, but we were still able to get the result we were after," Bishop said. "Credit Northwestern State for putting us under pressure and working hard all the way to the end."
 
The Central Arkansas offense got going early as Bassett nearly got the Bears on the board in the fourth minute, but a Kayla Bomben save kept it scoreless. Just two minutes after Bassett put another shot on goal, the Bears found the net as she planted a shot in the right corner to make it 1-0 in the 16^th minute. Awuku-Darkoh made the goal happen as she sent a perfect pass across field that landed at Bassett's feet and she beat her defender for the goal. The Lady Demons nearly answered just two minutes later, but Lauren Mercuri made a nice save to keep the 1-0 lead intact. The Bears furthered their lead in the 34^th minute when Rollow fought through madness in the box off a corner and found the goal to make it 2-0. Just seven minutes later, Hair lined up a free kick near midfield and shocked the crowd when the ball deflected off the goalie's hands and fell in the back right corner to give the Bears the 3-0 lead going into halftime.
 
 
The Lady Demons did everything in their power to fight back in the second half as they out-shot the Bears 10-4. Northwestern State made things interesting in the 47^th minute when Hallie McCarroll got the ball off a corner kick and launched one over Mercuri's head to make it 3-1. Central Arkansas found an answer just six minutes later when Awuku-Darkoh beat her defender up the left side and put it away in the right corner of goal to make it 4-1 in the 53^rd minute. The Lady Demons kept fighting as Brittany Caserma finished a header off a cross in the left corner to trim the Bears lead to two. It only took the Bears 37 seconds to respond to the goal as Bassett sent a dazzling cross into the box that connected with Hargus as it bounced off her hip and landed in the left corner of goal to make it 5-2. Northwestern State continued to pressure the Bears defense with chances late in the second half, but Mercuri made some key saves that helped her team secure the win.

The Bears advance to the semifinals with the win and will play No. 5 seed Abilene Christian, a 3-1 winner over McNeese State, on Friday at 4 p.m.