Beaumont, Texas – The top-seeded Central Arkansas Bears will continue play in the 2018 Southland Conference Tournament on Friday afternoon, squaring off with fifth seed Abilene Christian for a spot in the Southland Conference Championship match.

The Bears and the Wildcats have clashed once already this season, with Central Arkansas scoring a 2-1 win on September 28^th in Conway. UCA got a goal from Bria Williams off an assist from Jordan Slim to take a 1-0 lead in the 57^th minute, and another as Camille Bassett finished a pass from Savannah Tidd in the 86^th minute. ACU's only goal came on a literal last-second effort as Laura Mauldin gathered a corner kick form Dylan Owens to cut the UCA lead to 2-1 with a single second left on the clock.

Central Arkansas, which entered the tournament as the strongest offensive force in the Southland Conference, did nothing to dispel that notion in their tournament opener, dispatching Northwestern State 5-2. Bassett got things going for the Bears, setting a Central Arkansas record with her 40^th career goal in the 16^th minute, and Morgan Rollow doubled the advantage in the 34^th. Gracie Hair delivered a 40-yard free kick into the net to give Central Arkansas a 3-0 lead at the break, and the Bears got second-half strikes from Connie Awuku-Darkoh and Lauren Hargus, both momentum-killers just minutes or, in the case of Hargus', seconds after Lady Demon scores.

Abilene Christian also entered the tournament with a reputation, as the top defensive unit in the league, allowing just 0.50 goals per game and pitching a school-record 11 shutouts. While the fifth-seeded Wildcats did surrender a goal in their quarterfinal match, they were one of two squads to score an upset, getting goals from Shay Johnson, Caity Acosta, and Chelsea Reedy to topple fourth-seeded McNeese 3-1.

If history holds, Friday's match-up promises to be hotly contested, as the Bears and the Wildcats are even in the all-time series' six meetings by  a tally of 2-2-2, with no game being decided by more than a single goal.

The winner of the match will advance to the Southland Conference Tournament Championship Match for the first time in program history, and will square off with either host, and third seed, Lamar or seventh-seeded Stephen F. Austin. Kickoff for that match is set for 1:05 PM.