CONWAY, Ark. – The time has finally come for the Sugar Bears to start conference play, this year, in a new conference. After joining the ASUN this past summer, Central Arkansas finally gets to test its mettle against a new slate of opponents, starting out with a trip to Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday. Tip-off against the Colonels is slated for 6 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
Central Arkansas opens conference play after a non-conference finale against Jarvis Christian on Sunday. Lucy Ibeh had the game of her career, scoring 25 points and logging career-bests with 21 rebounds and six assists. The 21 rebounds marked the first 20-rebound game for UCA since 2012, and the fifth game of 20 points and 20 rebounds in school history.
 
Offensively, Ibeh's outburst moved her to 14.7 points per game on the season, the fifth-best mark in the ASUN. A giant boost in rebounds, the junior leaps back over the 10-rebound per game mark, averaging 10.2 boards per contest, holding first place in the conference on the glass. She also leads the team in steals with 24. For her monstrous effort on Sunday, Ibeh was named the ASUN Player of the Week for the first time this season.
 
Also claiming an award this week was Gloria Fornah, who took home her first-career Freshman of the Week. The Fort Worth, Texas native tied a season-high with eight points and pulled down six rebounds. It marked the fourth time in five games that the freshman has grabbed at least five rebounds. Additionally, Randrea Wright contributed seven points and seven rebounds to help close out non-conference play with a win.
 
Sitting at 7-6 after non-conference, Eastern Kentucky hosts the Sugar Bears with a 5-1 home record, playing well at home with a roster that has seven freshmen. Most recently, the Colonels escaped the Cumberland Patriots to close out 2021, edging them out 79-72, extending their winning streak to three games. After falling behind in the first quarter, the Colonels used a huge second quarter to pull ahead and pull away. Leading scorer Jayla Johnson scored a team-best 27 points, while Bria Bass had a big double-double with 26 points and 14 rebounds.
 
Eastern Kentucky's shot count shows similarities to UCA, with a lesser emphasis on the three-point shot, with more of an emphasis on points in the paint and free throws. Defensively, EKU's first five wins saw the Colonels hold their opponents below sixty points.
 
Head coach of Eastern Kentucky is Greg Todd. In his first season at the helm, Todd came to EKU after a successful stint at Morehead State that saw him earn two WNIT berths. Todd guides the Colonels as they too embark on their first season as members of the ASUN. EKU joined the league after being members of the Ohio Valley Conference.
 
Game-time against the Colonels is set for 6 p.m. CT, in Richmond, Ky. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and 91.3 the Bear, with a link to live stats here.