CONWAY, Ark. – The Central Arkansas women's basketball team plays a pair of games at home this week, hosting the Bellarmine Knights on Thursday at 5 p.m. and the EKU Colonels at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Central Arkansas puts its 9-0 home record on the line against two ASUN foes as the regular season starts to wind down.
 
The Sugar Bears (16-8, 8-3 ASUN) are looking to get back in the win column after dropping two games last week, falling at FGCU and Stetson. It marked the first time this season that Central Arkansas had lost twice in a row, after going 6-0 after a loss. Despite the losses, Bree Stephens played exceptionally well, eclipsing her season high in both games, scoring 12 points against Gulf Coast before boosting her individual mark to 16 points against the Hatters.
 
Stephens has ramped up her efficiency since the start of conference play, shooting 49 percent from the field and 38 percent from three, both marks ranking second on the team. Stephens also provides a ton of defense for the Sugar Bears, leading the team overall with 32 steals and 35 blocks. The Townsville, Australia native is a big part of the reason the Sugar Bears rank second in the ASUN in scoring defense (58.7 points per game) and second in blocks per game (3.7).
 
Central Arkansas hosts Bellarmine on Thursday, having already defeated the Knights in Louisville earlier this season. The 73-59 final score was highlighted by 23 points off the bench from Kinley Fisher, going along with 18 points from Jade Upshaw. After trailing at half, the Sugar Bears outscored the Knights 39-21 in the second half, running away with the game.
 
Bellarmine (8-15, 3-8 ASUN) split its last home stand, losing to Kennesaw State before rebounding for a win against Queens. The Knights shot an amazing 34-of-35 from the charity stripe in the win over the Royals, getting 15-plus points from four different players.
 
Hayley Harrison continues to lead the Knights in scoring, averaging 15.4 points per game. Last time against the Sugar Bears, Harrison scored eight points on 13 shots, but was buoyed by Hope Sivori's 18. Sivori ranks second on the squad in scoring, averaging 10.9 points per game and leading the team with 48 three-pointers.
 
Eastern Kentucky (18-7, 7-4 ASUN) looks to make a splash late in the season and tie the Sugar Bears' conference record, trailing Central Arkansas by a game in the ASUN standings. The Colonels took both games of their home stand, defeating Queens on Thursday before downing Kennesaw State on Saturday. After five players scored in double-figures in a womping of Queens, Eastern Kentucky had to dig deep to defeat Kennesaw, narrowly beating the Owls by three.
 
Antwainette Walker was the team's leading scorer in both games, averaging 18.0 points over the two contests. Walker continues to be one of the best in the ASUN at putting the ball in the basket, averaging 18.9 points per contest. Along with Ivy Turner and Alice Recanati, the trio averages over 40 points per game, responsible for over half of EKU's offense.
 
EKU stands as one of three ASUN losses for the Sugar Bears, and the only one Central Arkansas plays twice this season. Central Arkansas is seeking a top-two seed in the ASUN this season, trying to do so for the first time since joining the conference.
 
Tip-off against Bellarmine is set for 5 p.m. on Thursday, followed by a 1 p.m. tip against the Colonels on Saturday. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+, with live stats available online. Fans can also follow the action on The Bear 91.3, with Steve Owens on the call.