MANHATTAN, Kan. – Central Arkansas women's basketball fell to a top-10 team on Sunday, dropping an 86-39 final to No. 9 Kansas State in Manhattan.
 
The Sugar Bears move to 4-2 on the season, with the two losses being to Power 4 squads. Central Arkansas had stretches in the second half where the team looked steady, but a long, athletic Big 12 team was too much to handle. Randrea Wright and Jade Upshaw each had eight, while Cheyenne Banks held All-American Ayoka Lee to just 12 points on the night, and under 50 percent shooting for just the second time this season.
 
It took some time for the Sugar Bears to adjust to the size and length of the Wildcats, and the first half was tough for Central Arkansas. Early turnovers created a double-digit deficit quickly, and Central Arkansas couldn't find the offense to get back into it. It didn't help that Kansas State has shooters at every spot surrounding their bigs, as the home team shot 53 percent from the field and 48 percent from deep.
 
Things turned around to start the third quarter, as the Sugar Bears opened the frame hitting five of their first six shots, matching the Wildcats score for score to open the second half. Upshaw and Kinley Fisher combined for eight points over the first two minutes of the third, and the pair would combine for ten points in the quarter. But as quickly as the Sugar Bears seemed to heat up, they slowed down just as fast, going on an extended drought over the final few minutes of the frame.
 
The Sugar Bears continued to fight as the clock ticked in the fourth quarter, running sets on the offensive end to continue prioritizing execution. Defensively, Central Arkansas maintained focus until the final, outscoring the Wildcats 14-9 over the final ten minutes of the game.
 
Central Arkansas returns home for the next one, playing Little Rock on Saturday in the Farris Center. The Sugar Bears and Trojans will tip off at 1 p.m., adding another chapter to the Governor's I-40 Showdown.