CONWAY, Ark. – On the road for the second half of the opening weekend of ASUN play, the Central Arkansas women's basketball team is in Louisville, Kentucky to take on Bellarmine on Saturday. Tip-off against the Knights is set for 1 p.m. CT.
 
The Sugar Bears opened the conference slate with a home win over Jacksonville on Thursday, using a fast start to get ahead early. Behind a resurgent scoring effort from Jade Upshaw, a dominant post presence on the defensive end by Bree Stephens, and a double-digit advantage in points in the paint, Central Arkansas started ASUN action in the right direction for the second year in a row.
 
With the win, Central Arkansas snapped a three-game losing streak, finding some momentum in the first conference game of the season. Upshaw had at least 19 points for the fourth time this season, and hit three three-pointers for the seventh time this year. Leah Mafua hit three threes, a third-straight game with multiple threes, and the Sugar Bears shot 37 percent from deep for a second-straight game.
 
The Sugar Bears have faced off with the Knights five times since joining the ASUN, with four wins in the series. Last year saw the teams compete in both Conway and Louisville, and Central Arkansas claimed a 73-59 win in the road game. Upshaw and Kinley Fisher combined for 41 points on just 25 shots, while Stephens pulled in 11 rebounds and blocked four shots. In all five meetings, the first team to 60 points has pulled away with the win.
 
Bellarmine holds a 9-5 record, despite falling in its conference opener against North Alabama on Thursday. The overtime affair saw the Knights outscore the Lions by 13 in the final quarter to force overtime before falling 19-18 in the extra period. Hayley Harrison scored 32 points with nine free throws, Hope Sivori added 20, and four total Knights tallied double-figures in the loss.
 
Harrison and Sivori are the leading scorers for the Knights this season, averaging 15.9 and 13.1 points per game, respectively. Harrison does a lot of her damage inside the arc and at the free throw line, whereas Sivori is one of the best three-point shooters in the conference, with 36 makes already this season.
 
Tip-off against the Knights is set for 1 p.m. CT in Louisville. The game will be streamed on ESPN+, with live stats available online. Fans can also keep up with all of the action at The Bear 91.3.