CONWAY, Ark. – With one week left in the regular season, the Central Arkansas women's basketball team sets off for one of its final two games before the ASUN Championship. First up this week is the North Alabama Lions, whom the Sugar Bears have already defeated this season. Playing this one at Flowers Hall in Florence, Ala., game time against the Lions is set for 6 p.m.
 
The Sugar Bears split a pair of games last week, for which freshman Randrea Wright showed up and showed out. In the first game of the week against Bellarmine, Wright dished out a career-best nine assists, the most by a Sugar Bear since 2020, while also scoring 12 points. Then, against EKU, the Birmingham, Ala., native scored a career-high 21 points, becoming the second Sugar Bear to score 20-plus points in a game this year.
 
For her career week, Wright earned her fourth ASUN Freshman of the Week award, the second-most in the conference this season. She is third on the team in scoring this season, netting 9.5 points per game, while leading the team in assists, with 77 dimes on the year.
 
Having already played the Lions once this season, last time these teams met was a win for the Sugar Bears. Central Arkansas stifled the Lions in the first and third quarters, allowing the Sugar Bears to climb out far enough to endure a couple of runs at the ends of each half. Hannah Langhi and Lucy Ibeh had their second game of the season with both players recording double-doubles. Langhi, from the bench, led the team with 18 points and 15 rebounds, while Ibeh pitched in 14 points and 12 rebounds of her own. Jayla Cody also scored in double-digits, adding 10 points and seven boards.
 
This game comes with pretty sizeable implications for both teams as the regular season nears the end. For the Lions, losing this game means there's a chance that EKU could leap them in the standings and take the 2-seed, claiming a first-round bye. With a win in either of their last games, the Lions clinch the 2-seed. For the Sugar Bears, a win helps them inch closer to hosting a first-round game as a 4-seed. Currently tied with Lipscomb in the standings, it could come down to Saturday's game between the Sugar Bears and the Bisons to figure out who gets the last hosting seed.
 
Though North Alabama enters the week on a loss, the Lions have won three of their last four, including close road wins over EKU and Lipscomb. Home against Lipscomb last Saturday, a lopsided fourth-quarter allowed Lipscomb to pull away late. Tied at 55-55 with 5:05 left in the fourth, the Lions surrendered a 15-4 run to close out the game.
 
Sharpshooter Julia Strachan, who was recovering from injury last time the Lions faced Central Arkansas, leads the team in scoring at 12.2 points per game. Strachan also leads the ASUN in three-pointers made, with 84 while leading the conference in three-point percentage, hitting 44 percent of her threes.
 
North Alabama also boasts one of the candidates for Freshman of the Year in Skyler Gill. A 5'11" wing, Gill is third on her team in scoring at 9.9 points per game, ranking first in the ASUN in blocked shots with 68 and second in rebounds per game at 8.7 per contest.
 
Tip-off against the Lions is set for 6 p.m. at Flowers Hall in Florence, Ala. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+, available on the radio at 91.3 The Bear, with live stats available here.