GAME INFORMATION
CENTRAL ARKANSAS (8-11, 4-6 Southland) at Northwestern State (5-14, 2-8)
Feb. 1, 2020 • 1:00pm • Prather Coliseum • Natchitoches, La.

Watch
Audio (pregame begins 12:40)
Live Stats
@UCAWBB on Twitter

SERIES HISTORY
Sugar Bears lead 16-13
Northwestern State won last meeting; teams split last season
Tied 7-7 in Natchitoches

STATISTICAL LEADERS
Central Arkansas
Points Per Game: Taylor Sells (9.6)
Rebounds Per Game: Hannah Langhi (5.8)
Assists Per Game: Taylor Sells (2.5)
Blocks: Hannah Langhi (18)
Steals: Hannah Langhi (19)

Northwestern State
Points Per Game: Kira Bonner (14.9)
Rebounds Per Game: Lacee Savage (5.0)
Assists Per Game: Tristen Washington (2.4)
Blocks: Lacee Savage (13)
Steals: Jasmyn Johnson (51)


NATCHITOCHES, La. — On the heels of a setback at Southeastern Louisiana on Wednesday, the Sugar Bears look to bounce back on Saturday at Northwestern State when they take on the Lady Demons at 1:00pm in Prather Coliseum.

The Sugar Bears (8-11, 4-6 Southland) kick off the second half of the Southland Conference season sitting in a tie for 8th place in the league standings with Lamar, and will be looking to get back in the win column against a struggling Lady Demon (5-14, 2-8) team that has dropped five of its last six games including three straight, and will be playing their second game under interim head coach Aaron Swinson following the resignation of former head coach Jordan Dupuy last weekend.

In Swinson's first game as acting head coach on Wednesday, the Lady Demons got off to a hot start with 23 first-quarter points, but were outscored 57-40 over the final three quarters as New Orleans left Natchitoches with a 77-63 victory. 

NSU comes into Saturday's contest ranking last in the Southland in scoring margin for the season, being outscored by 12.2 points per game; and are last in field goal percentage (32.8); rebounds allowed (42.9 per game); and rebound margin (-7.4 per game) while also ranking 12th out of 13 teams in the league in scoring defense – allowing 70.6 points per game. One area where NSU has outperformed their opposition is in turnovers, ranking 4th in the Southland in turnover margin at +2.53 per game, while the Sugar Bears are 12th at -2.42.

The Lady Demons are led by Kira Bonner, the 4th-leading scorer in the Southland at 14.9 points per game. Jasmyn Johnson is NSU's second-leading scorer at 8.8 per game and ranks 3rd in the Southland with 2.7 steals per game.

For the Sugar Bears, senior guard Taylor Sells comes in averaging 10.7 points per game in conference play, while sophomore forward Alana Canady is averaging 8.8. Junior forward Briana Trigg has averaged 7.7 points, and junior forward Hannah Langhi has averaged 7.1 points and a team-best 6.3 rebounds in league play while also leading the team with 11 blocks and 11 steals. The Sugar Bears have gotten a lift on the perimeter of late from sophomore guard Carley Hudspeth, who has hit 5-of-13 (38.5 percent) from 3-point range over the last three games after starting the season 2-for-22 and connecting in just one of the first 16 games. Junior forward Ayanna Trigg has averaged 10 rebounds per game over the last three games, reaching double figures against Nicholls and Abilene Christian before pulling down 5 at Southeastern on Wednesday.

The Sugar Bears will be looking for their fourth win in their last five trips to Prather Coliseum, having won three in a row before falling 78-74 last year in a game in which they surrendered 50 second-half points to the Lady Demons in the regular-season finale. Langhi had 19 points and Canady added 14 and 7 rebounds in the loss. 

The game will be the first half of a doubleheader, with the Bears and Demons to follow approximately 30 minutes following the conclusion of the Sugar Bears and Lady Demons. The Sugar Bears will return to the Farris Center for their next two, hosting Lamar on Wednesday and McNeese next Saturday.