CONWAY — Central Arkansas knocked down seven free throws in the final minute and drew a key charging foul in the waning moments to fend off Jackson State 57-54 in the Farris Center on Saturday.
The Sugar Bears (2-4) led by two after
Romola Dominguez made the second of two free throws to make it 56-54 with 23 seconds left. On the ensuing possession, Jackson State's Keshuna Luckett drove to the basket – right into a waiting
Briana Trigg for a charging call with 17 seconds to play. The Tigers (1-5) sent Dominguez back to the line four seconds later, where she again converted 1 of 2 to push the lead to three for the final score, as Central Arkansas freshman
Terri Crawford would come away with a steal at the end, keeping the Tigers from attempting a final shot.
In their best perimeter shooting game of the season, the Sugar Bears knocked down six shots from 3-point range, finishing 6-of-19 (31.6 percent) – their first game of the season to make more than three from long range. After being outscored 39-12 from beyond the arc in their last two games, the Sugar Bears had 18 points from the perimeter to just 3 for Jackson State on Saturday, as the Tigers were just 1-for-8.
The Sugar Bears got off to a strong start defensively, leading 11-10 after the first quarter in which they got all 11 points off of 10 Jackson State turnovers. In the second quarter, they would hold JSU to just 21.4 percent shooting (3 of 14) en route to building a 25-16 halftime lead.
Jackson State would answer in the 3rd, however, starting the second half with a 9-0 run in the first two minutes to draw back even at 25, and eventually take a 31-30 lead midway through the period on a pair of Cherelle Jones free throws. The lead would hold for just 25 seconds, and the Sugar Bears reclaimed the lead for good with 2:53 left in the period on a
Taylor Sells layup. When Jackson State had cut its deficit to one late in the quarter,
Savanna Walker banked in a 3-pointer from the top of the key to extend the cushion to four points headed into the 4th.
Though JSU would outscore the Sugar Bears 17-16 in the final period, it was not enough to overcome eight turnovers and 50 percent (5 of 10) free throw shooting in the quarter. For the game, JSU committed 24 turnovers, which led to 23 Sugar Bear points.
In the win, Walker and Dominguez tied for the team lead with 13 points apiece – season highs for both. Sells added 11 points and 8 rebounds while drawing 9 fouls, and Trigg – in her first action since Hendrix on Nov. 12 – added 7 points and 8 rebounds. Walker led the Sugar Bears with 3 assists, and
Ayanna Trigg had a team-high 3 steals. Dominguez was 3-of-7 from 3-point range, while Walker added a pair, going 2-for-5.
The Sugar Bears return to action on Wednesday when they meet up with 6th-ranked Texas A&M in College Station, before returning to the Farris Center next Saturday to host Crowley's Ridge College at 7:00pm.
