CONWAY, Ark. –  After opening its season on the road, the Central Arkansas women's basketball team will play its first game in the Farris Center Friday night against hometown opponent Hendrix College. Tipoff against the Warriors is set for 5 p.m.
 
The Sugar Bears are looking to regroup after Tuesday's opening loss against Kansas State. One of the bright spots from the game, freshman Randrea Wright scored 17 points in her UCA debut, the first double-digit scoring output by a freshman in a season opener since 2013. Junior Lucy Ibeh added seven points and seven boards in the loss. Five freshmen saw their first Division I action against the Wildcats, with two of them starting (Wright and Gloria Fornah).
 
Last time UCA faced Hendrix, the Sugar Bears took a 104-28 win at the Farris Center. Hannah Langhi scored 17 points and pulled in nine rebounds in the contest. Historically, Central Arkansas has won the last eight contests in the series, and holds an 8-4 overall series lead.
 
Hendrix College stops by after dropping its season-opener against the University of the Ozarks last Friday. Two Warriors, Kennedi Burns and Rachel Woppman, scored in double-figures in the loss.
 
Burns is the headline returner for Hendrix, after leading the team in scoring a season ago. Scoring 13.8 points per game, Burns' scored a season high 26 points against Birmingham-Southern, one of two games the guard scored 25 or more last season.
 
The Warriors added five freshmen to the roster for the 2021-22 season, with two receiving minutes in the season opener. Mia Maxwell, one of the freshmen that played, pulled down seven rebounds in her debut.
 
Game time against Hendrix is set for 5 p.m. at the Farris Center. Fans are invited to bring a nonperishable or canned food item to the game on Friday, in an effort to help support the Bear Essentials Food Pantry, a food pantry specifically created for UCA students in need. Fans who bring in a donation will receive an online promo code for a $5 General Admission ticket to Saturday's football game.