CONWAY, Ark. – The Tony Kemper era got off to a fast start on Monday, as the Sugar Bears cruised to an 85-25 win over intown foe Hendrix. Ten Sugar Bears put points on the board, and a collective team effort forced 27 turnovers. Nine Sugar Bears made their Purple and Gray debut, combining for 63 points in the first win of the year.
Central Arkansas (1-0) blitzed the Warriors from the opening tip, scoring 13 unanswered points to force a timeout just minutes into the game. The Sugar Bears would add one more basket from
Cheyenne Banks to make it 15-0 before Hendrix put a point on the board. But even more impressive than just the quick scoring was the fashion in which the points were scored: three-straight triples on three-straight possessions to push the lead from two to 11.
But not lost in the speed of the game was defensive pressure. The Sugar Bears held the Warriors to just a single point until the 1:47 mark in the first quarter, and allowed just six points in the first ten minutes. Hendrix made only one field goal in the opening frame, and committed eight turnovers. The Sugar Bears, on the other hand, shot 50 percent on 18 shots, canning four three pointers from four different players.
It was more of the same in the second quarter, as the Sugar Bears built the lead with a plethora of paint touches. The balanced scoring from the first quarter carried over into the second, with eight players logging points as the Sugar Bears racked up 18 points in the paint. Defensively,
Jade Upshaw was an absolute menace, swiping four steals in the quarter and helping Central Arkansas again allow just six points.
At the halftime break, six Sugar Bears logged five-plus points, and the 54 percent shooting was more than double the shooting percentage of the Warriors.
Jenna Rose Mafua, also playing her first game as a Sugar Bear, had four steals of her own at the break.
Randrea Wright, one of three returners from last season, cashed in a three-pointer at the halftime buzzer to give the Sugar Bears seven triples in the first half, making the most in a single game since 2019.
The lead continued to grow in the second half, as the Sugar Bears continued to blend pace of play with defensive pressure and quick hands. By the end of the game, Central Arkansas had tallied 29 points off turnovers, 15 fast break points, and scored the most points by a group of Sugar Bears since 2019.
With the season-opening win in the rearview mirror, Central Arkansas gets ready for its first Division I opponent of the year, a quick road trip to Samford on Saturday. Tipoff against the Bulldogs is set for 2 p.m. in Birmingham, Ala.
