CONWAY, Ark. – The Central Arkansas women's basketball team is at home on Wednesday, playing its lone non-conference D1 opponent of the season. The Sugar Bears will face the Arkansas State Red Wolves in the Farris Center, tipping off at 6:30 p.m.
The Sugar Bears (1-2) last played almost ten days ago, nearly upsetting the Arkansas Razorbacks in Fayetteville. Central Arkansas led for more than 30 minutes against the Hogs, but a run at the end by the home team got the game to overtime, where the Hogs were able to take over.
Cheyanne Kemp dropped 19 points to lead all scorers,
Bree Stephens added 16 points and 16 boards, and
Shae Littleford scored 16 of her own.
Three games into the season, including two against SEC foes, Central Arkansas is averaging 87.7 points per game, the most in the ASUN. Kemp is third in the conference in scoring, averaging 17.7 points per game, and is the only player in the top-25 that has two or fewer free throws this season. Littleford is averaging 16.3 points per game, and Stephens is adding 13.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.
Arkansas State (2-2) picked up a win over Little Rock last time out, using a strong fourth quarter to turn a four-point deficit into a nine-point win. Zyion Shannon scored 18 points, including four three-pointers, and the Red Wolves forced 34 turnovers, resulting in 19 steals and 38 points from those turnovers.
Turnovers have largely been where Arkansas State outduels teams, by suffocating pressure to earn extra possessions. In four games, the Red Wolves have forced 122 turnovers, or over 30 per game. Sixty of these turnovers have been live-ball turnovers, and has led to nearly 27 points per game off of turnovers.
Outside the lines, the game against Arkansas State brings back a familiar face to the Farris Center. ASU's head coach, Destinee Rogers, played her college ball at Central Arkansas, and was a three-year starter that helped the Sugar Bears claim the 2012 Southland Conference Championship and back-to-back national postseason appearances. Central Arkansas head coach
Tony Kemper was on staff when Rogers played.
Tip-off against the Red Wolves is set for 6:30 p.m. in the Farris Center. The game will be streamed on ESPN+, with live stats available online. Fans can also follow the action on 91.3 The Bear, with Steve Owens on the call. Fans can also receive a discounted ticket by bringing a toy to the game, as part of the program's Toy Drive.
