CONWAY, Ark. – Starting off a two-game home stand, the Central Arkansas women's basketball team opened up the lead in the second half to pull away from the Jacksonville Dolphins on Thursday. The win marks the eighth-straight win at home, keeping the Sugar Bears unbeaten in the Farris Center.
 
Central Arkansas improved to 15-6 overall and 7-1 in ASUN games after claiming the 71-58 win over the Dolphins. Jade Upshaw exploded in the first half, scoring 14 of her team-best 18 points in the first two quarters. Randrea Wright added 14 points, and Kinley Fisher had 13 off the bench.
 
The Sugar Bears started the game in a rhythm from deep, hitting their first three shots, including two to start the game from Upshaw. The junior from Sapulpa, Oklahoma had eight of the first 11 points for the home team, and had Central Arkansas up three at the midway point. But a 4-0 spurt from the Dolphins swung the game, giving Jacksonville its first lead of the game, which was quickly reclaimed by the Sugar Bears. After the first quarter Upshaw had 11 points, carrying her team to a three-point lead.
 
Upshaw continued to pour it on in the second, helping the Sugar Bears increase the lead to seven with her fourth three-pointer. The home team kept the lead around five points for the bulk of the frame, and a two-minute scoring drought by the Dolphins send the teams to the locker room with Central Arkansas leading by six. The Sugar Bears scored ten of their 13 points in the paint, and withstood the Dolphins shooting 2-for-7 from the stripe.
 
The teams' styles of play definitely showed in the box score at halftime, with Central Arkansas shooting 38.5 percent from three and holding Jacksonville to 35 percent from the floor. On the other side, the Dolphins shot 13 free throws, compared to just one by the Sugar Bears.
 
Early in the third quarter, the Dolphins whittled the lead to three points over the first few minutes, pairing together paint scores and three-pointers to climb back into the game. But Central Arkansas embarked on a 10-2 run to push the lead to double-figures for the first time. Elizabeth Abiara scored at the buzzer to add to the lead, sending the Sugar Bears to the fourth quarter up 12. Abiara scored six points in the third quarter, scoring six of the 18 points in the paint in the third quarter. Inside the three-point line, the Sugar Bears shot 10-of-12, opening up the lead as the teams went to the final frame.
 
The lead never dipped below ten in the fourth quarter, as the Sugar Bears managed the clock and prevented the Dolphins from going on any serious runs. The four guard lineup of Upshaw, Wright, Fisher and Leah Mafua nursed the lead to the end, scoring all 18 points as the Sugar Bears defended home court for the eighth time this season.
 
As impressive as Upshaw was in the first half, Fisher and Wright shone in the second, combining for 19 points. Defensively, Bree Stephens recorded three blocks and a steal in just the second half, notching her 11^th game of multiple blocks this season.
 
Next up on the docket for the Sugar Bears is a Saturday showdown with North Florida. Tipping off at 1 p.m., the Ospreys make their first trip to Conway as members of the Atlantic Sun.