CONWAY, Ark. – Back on the road, the Central Arkansas women's basketball team takes a quick trip to Lawrence, Kansas for its final road trip of the semester. There, the Sugar Bears will play the Jayhawks in historic Allen Fieldhouse. Tip-off against Kansas is set for 4 p.m.
 
Central Arkansas (6-4) won its sixth game of the year with a 69-32 win over Central Baptist College last week. The balanced team effort saw nine players score five or more points, with Jade Upshaw leading the way with 12. But more impressive was the defensive effort, the Sugar Bears forced 30 turnovers and held the Mustangs to just 18 percent shooting, giving up just two field goals in the entire second half.
 
Now ten games into the season, the Sugar Bears have started to figure out what the team's makeup looks like. Offensively, a number of players have the capability to hang double-figures on any given night: eight players have scored in double-digits this season, and four players average more than ten points per game. The three-pointer has been an improved weapon this season: with 71 triples through ten games, the Sugar Bears have already eclipsed last season's total (69 threes, 28 games). Central Arkansas has not hit 80 three-pointers since 2018-19, and the team has a great chance to do that before the calendar year ends, with three more games in 2023.
 
Defensively, the Sugar Bears still get after it, holding some of the best numbers in the Atlantic Sun this season. Central Arkansas allows the fewest points (58.1 ppg), lowest field goal percentage (33.9%) and lowest three-point percentage (28.6%). The Sugar Bears are the only team in the league to allow fewer than 60 points, the only team to hold opponents under 38 percent shooting, and lead the conference in defensive rebounds per game by more than three boards per game. Bree Stephens has been a big part of that defense, leading the Sugar Bears in steals (16) and blocks (15) and is tied for first with 41 defensive rebounds.
 
Central Arkansas faces Kansas for the first time in program history, marking the eighth Big 12 opponent in the Sugar Bears' history. KU is 5-4 on the season, with all four losses to Power Five and nationally ranked teams. Most recently, the Jayhawks defeated Wichita State in a 76-56 road victory. Guard S'Mya Nichols scored a game-high 23 points on 10-of-12 shooting, adding a three-pointer and two free throws. She led the Jayhawks to a 58.8 shot percentage from the field, making 30-of-51 looks from the field.
 
Kansas' entire starting five is averaging double-digit points, accounting for more than 60 of the team's 70.9 points per game, nearly 85 percent of the Jayhawks' scoring. Nichols leads the way with 14.6, with two games of 20-plus this season. The freshman has four games shooting 50 percent or better. The Jayhawks also feature last year's WNIT MVP, Taiyanna Jackson. The 6-6 senior holds averages of 13.6 points, 9.8 boards and 2.6 blocks per game, while shooting 60 percent from the field.
 
Tip-off against Kansas is set for 4 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse. The game will be streamed on ESPN+, with live stats available online. Fans can also keep up with all the action by listening to The Bear 91.3, with Steve Owens on the call.