CONWAY — The Central Arkansas women's basketball program has added the third member of its 2020 recruiting class, signing Hutchinson Community College guard Lauryn Mapusua.

Mapusua – a 5-foot-9 combo guard originally from Brisbane in Queensland, Australia – joins the Sugar Bears after two seasons at Hutch where she helped lead the Blue Dragons to a 28-4 record, Jayhawk Conference West championship, and No. 9 ranking in the NJCAA Division I poll this season after a 33-4 mark and NJCAA Final Four appearance during her freshman season. During the 2019-20 season, Mapusua started 30 games, averaging 8.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 29.3 minutes per game. She scored in double figures in 15 games with a high of 21 against Pratt CC, had a career-high 13 rebounds against Garden City CC, and recorded 8 assists twice. She knocked down 30 3-pointers on the season, bringing an outside threat to a Sugar Bear team that hit just 77 last season with no player making more than 23.

"We're so happy that Lauryn has joined the Sugar Bear program," said head coach Sandra Rushing, who enters her 9th season at Central Arkansas and 32nd overall with more than 550 wins to her credit. "She is a versatile player who has the ability to play multiple positions. She runs the floor well, and she is a tremendous rebounder for her size. I really like her competitive spirit, and she has a great energy and passion for the game. And she fills a need for us with her ability to knock down the 3 ball, and that will be an impact right away for the Sugar Bears. She's a super young lady with a great work ethic, and we're looking forward to getting her on campus and having her in a Central Arkansas uniform."

Prior to Hutch, Mapusua competed at the U18 FIBA championships in Guam in 2017 for the New Zealand national team, where they finished as runner-up in the tournament. She also won a national championship in rugby in the U18 National Rugby Sevens Championships with the Queensland Reds.

Mapusua joins early signees Ruth Balogun – a 5-10 guard/forward out of Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga, Tenn. – and Jayla Cody, a 6-1 forward from Valdosta (Ga.) High School, in the Sugar Bears' class.