CONWAY, Ark. – Back at home for the first time in 25 days, the Central Arkansas women's basketball team gets set to take on in-state foe Central Baptist College on Saturday. Tipping off at 1 p.m., the Sugar Bears look to get back in the win column after a heartbreaker against Tulsa on Tuesday.
The Sugar Bears fell to 5-4 on the year with the loss to Tulsa, but had several opportunities to knock off the Group of Five school. In a game that saw Central Arkansas only shoot 19 percent from three, the defense kept the Sugar Bears in the game, holding Tulsa to 33 percent from the field and keeping the Golden Hurricane under 30 percent in the second and third quarters.
Kinley Fisher led the team in scoring, netting 18 points in 22 minutes. The junior guard scored 11-straight in a stretch in the third quarter, helping the Sugar Bears erase a five-point deficit and turn it into a six-point lead. Fisher outscored Tulsa 11-9 in the frame, part of a 20-9 advantage for Central Arkansas.
Fisher continues to lead the team in scoring, averaging 13.3 points per game. She is one of four players averaging double-figures, along with
Jade Upshaw (11.9),
Randrea Wright (11.0) and
Leah Mafua (10.6). All four are in the top-25 of the ASUN's scorers, with Fisher's average ranking sixth. Defensively,
Bree Stephens has had quick hands all season, and is the only ASUN player to log double-digit blocks and steals this season. Stephens is second in the conference with 13 blocks, and has 12 steals to her name as well.
Central Baptist has an 0-5 record to start its season, most recently opening conference play with a 90-51 loss to Columbia. The Mustangs struggled to shoot the ball, knocking down just 33 percent of their looks. Seven players scored at least five points, led by Aliya Grotjohn's eight. On the other side, the Mustangs allowed Columbia to shoot 51 percent, and gave up 25 assists on 31 made baskets.
Olivia Lambrigsten is the team's leading scorer through five games, averaging 15.4 points per contest. She is joined in double-figures by Caroline Citty, who averages 12.6. Taryanna McNary leads the squad with 7.4 rebounds per game, and is one of four players to pull in 1.5 or more offensive rebounds per game.
But where CBC has struggled this season has been turnovers: the Mustangs cough up the ball more than 25 times per game, which puts the defense in a bad position in transition sets. The extra possessions have put CBC behind the eight ball, allowing 89 points per game.
Central Arkansas is the lone Division I opponent for the Mustangs, who play in the NAIA. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday, with the game streaming on ESPN+. Live stats are available online, and fans can follow the action on The Bear 91.3.
