CONWAY, Ark. – The Sugar Bear basketball team has one more game before breaking for the holidays, hosting Northwestern State on Wednesday. The second part of a double-header with the men's team, the Sugar Bears tip off at 2:30 p.m. at the Farris Center.
Last time out, Central Arkansas dropped its matchup with Kansas, falling to 6-5 on the year. But despite the loss, the Sugar Bears had a couple of standout players who were, at times, the best players on the floor against a Big 12 team.
Randrea Wright led all scorers with 17 points, slicing and dicing her way into the paint with some tough finishes, and
Leah Mafua carried the team in the third quarter, scoring ten of her 15 points in the frame.
The duo make up two of the four players averaging double-figures this season, with Wright second on the team with 11.4 points per game. Along with
Kinley Fisher and
Jade Upshaw, the top three scorers for Central Arkansas are separated by just three points, with all four top scorers capable of taking over at any point.
Wednesday is just the fourth home game of the semester for the Sugar Bears, who are 3-0 at the Farris Center. When in front of Sugar Bear Nation, the team averages 70 points per contest, defeating its three opponents by an average of 36 points. Teams that have visited the Farris Center have only shot 22 percent from the field, and 16 percent from three.
Northwestern State hasn't been on the schedule since the Southland Conference days in 2020-21, and hasn't been to the Farris Center since January of 2021. Last time the Lady Demons were in Conway, they managed just 39 points.
The Lady Demons enter the week with a 4-6 record, and have played a couple of common opponents with the Sugar Bears. Northwestern State also faced Tulsa and Kansas, and lost by an average of 25 points, compared to the Sugar Bears' 7.5. Most recently, however, was a loss to the reigning champion LSU Tigers on Sunday. Sharna Ayres led the team with 10 points in the loss, but 31 turnovers against the defending national champions were too much to overcome.
Ten games into the season, Jiselle Woodson leads the team in scoring, averaging 11.9 per game. She is joined in double-figures by Ayres' 11.4 points, and the duo has combined for 12 outings of double-digit scoring. Rebounding is done by committee for the Lady Demons, with eight players averaging between three and six rebounds.
Tip-off against Northwestern State is set for 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, and will be streamed on ESPN+. Live stats are available online, and fans can keep up with all the Sugar Bear action on The Bear 91.3, with Steve Owens on the call.
