CONWAY — Central Arkansas turned in a historically dominant performance on Wednesday night in the Farris Center as the Sugar Bears stifled Lamar from start to finish en route to a 53-29 victory for the lowest point total allowed in a Southland Conference game in program history.
The Sugar Bears (10-11, 6-6 Southland) put the clamps on the Cardinals (9-12, 5-7) from the outset, keeping Lamar to just 1-of-13 shooting (7.7 percent) and 3 points in the opening quarter. The next three quarters would be much of the same, as Lamar converted just two field goals in the second quarter, three in the third, and four in the fourth as they finished 10-of-58 (17.2 percent) from the field and just 3-of-18 (16.7 percent) from 3-point range in suffering their most lopsided league defeat of the season.
The Sugar Bears kept Lamar to just 9 points in the first half, the lowest point total allowed in a half this season for Central Arkansas and the lowest scored by the Cardinals, whose previous low was 13 in the first half of a 90-28 loss at No. 2 Baylor.
While Lamar would find a little more offense in the 2nd half, being outscored just 28-20, it was not enough to avoid rewriting the Sugar Bear record book – with the 29 eclipsing the Sugar Bears' previous low of 30 given up to New Orleans in 2014.
The scoreboard wasn't the only place the Sugar Bears were dominant on Wednesday, as Central Arkansas outrebounded Lamar 62-28, including 22 offensive rebounds. It was the highest rebound total for the Sugar Bears against a Division I opponent and most overall for the program since pulling down a program-record 67 against Arkansas Tech in 2001.
Leading the way for the Sugar Bears was junior forward
Hannah Langhi, who had 12 points and a career-high 17 rebounds, the first Sugar Bear to top 15 in a game since Kierra Jordan had 16 against Lamar in 2018.
Junior forward
Ayanna Trigg had 11 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, one off her season high, and added a season-high 4 blocked shots. Senior guard
Taylor Sells just missed a double-double of her own, scoring 10 points with 9 rebounds while also leading the team with 5 assists.
Briana Trigg added 9 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals, while
Alana Canady pitched in with 6 points and 6 rebounds and
Savanna Walker finished with 5 points and 2 rebounds.
The Sugar Bears finished the night shooting 34.4 percent from the field, and were 10-for-12 (83.3 percent) at the free throw line.
With the 29 points allowed, the Sugar Bears have now surrendered fewer than 40 points in five games this season and less than 50 nine times, and have allowed an average of just 36.5 over their last two games.
With those wins over Lamar and Northwestern State, the Sugar Bears will look to run their winning streak to three on Saturday when they host McNeese in the Farris Center at 1:00pm. The Sugar Bears defeated the Cowgirls 70-57 on Jan. 4 in Lake Charles, La.
