CONWAY, Ark. – Wrapping up the regular season on Tuesday, the Central Arkansas women's basketball fell in its regular season finale 75-42 to North Alabama. With player safety at the forefront of the university's decision, the remainder of the season has been discontinued.
 
Playing with only five student-athletes, the Sugar Bears gave it their all one last time for the 2022-23 season, the team was led by Kinley Fisher and Gloria Fornah, who each scored 11 points. All five Sugar Bears scored at least five points, continuing to give full effort until the final buzzer.
 
North Alabama jumped out of the gates, scoring the first six points and never looking back. The Sugar Bears fought to stay in it, but turnovers added to what was already becoming a tough shooting night. Starting 3-of-12 from the floor with eight miscues, the Sugar Bears started in a hole that quickly became tough to dig out of.
 
But like Central Arkansas has done all season, the never-say-die mentality continued to push the five forward, battling through adversity and giving everything for each other. At risk of letting the lead get to 20, the team controlled the turnovers and took away easy baskets from the Lions to stay in it in the second quarter, only getting outscored by three. Carter added six points in the second, scoring on a pair of drives and getting to the free throw line for a couple of shots from the charity stripe. And despite shots not falling, the defense never wavered, holding the Lions to 28 percent from the floor.
 
As the second half wore on, the depth of North Alabama allowed the Lions to stretch the lead, despite the Sugar Bears staying pedal to the metal the entire game. Fisher scored nine of her 11 points in the second half, and Central Arkansas had a parade to the free throw line, outshooting the Lions 13-3 from the charity stripe in the third and fourth quarters. Defensively, Central Arkansas continued to pressure shooters into the final quarter, holding North Alabama to 30 percent shooting in the final frame.