NEW ORLEANS, La. – The Central Arkansas women's basketball team dropped its first game of the Tulane Holiday Tournament on Friday, falling 65-49. Despite leading at the half, cold shooting down the stretch allowed the Warhawks to pull away.
The loss moves the Sugar Bears to 6-3 on the year with two games left before ASUN play.
Jade Upshaw led the Sugar Bears with 14 points,
Kinley Fisher added 11, and
Elizabeth Abiara had double-digit rebounds for the second time this season, snaring ten in the loss.
Central Arkansas opened slowly, dropping down 6-0 right out of the gates. A three-pointer by Upshaw stopped the bleeding, and the Sugar Bears would rely on the long ball early, scoring from deep on their first three field goals, along with a pair of free throws from Abiara. A tightly contested first frame ended with the Sugar Bears holding a one-point lead, 17-16.
Upshaw got going in the second quarter, scoring seven points, but both sides fell cold otherwise. But as Upshaw continued to keep the Sugar Bears in it, offensive rebounds allowed ULM to keep Central Arkansas from building a lead of any kind. The Warhawks used ten offensive rebounds in the first half to score eight second-chance points. An even second quarter send the teams to the locker room with a one-point difference.
The Sugar Bears came out of the break ice cold, allowing a 13-0 run to open the second half. ULM shot an uncharacteristic 4-for-4 from distance, and shot 53 percent in the third to help build a lead. Central Arkansas tried to battle back into it, but the deficit was 11 at the end of the third, as the Sugar Bears shot just 21 percent in the quarter. The offense didn't have much better luck in the fourth, as shots refused to go down. The Sugar Bears battled the deficit to ten midway through the frame, but a burst at the end by the Warhawks separated it again.
Central Arkansas now awaits the decision between Alabama A&M and Tulane for Saturday's opponent. Tip-off is set for noon on Saturday as the Sugar Bears close the Tulane Holiday Tournament.
