CONWAY, Ark. – One last tune-up before the start of ASUN games, the Central Arkansas women's basketball team heads up to Springfield, Missouri to take on the Lady Bears of Missouri State on Monday. Tip-off against the Lady Bears is set for 1 p.m.
The Sugar Bears (7-4) stumbled last time out against Louisiana Tech, dropping a 70-55 final score.
Shae Littleford led the way with 18 points, adding seven rebounds and a pair of three-pointers,
Bree Stephens had 12 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks, but contributions outside of the two fifth-years were tough to find.
Emerie Bohanon provided a spark off the bench defensively, drawing three charges and adding a pair of steals for her fourth game with multiple steals this year.
Littleford and Stephens continue to lead the Sugar Bears in virtually every statistical category this season. Littleford leads the team in scoring (14.5 ppg), field goals (54), three-pointers (18) and free throws (34). Stephens is atop the roster in rebounding (7.4 rpg), assists (29), steals (19), and blocks (20), as well as field goal percentage (51.0), three-point percentage (36.6) and free throw percentage (84.6).
After winning five-straight through the beginning of December, Central Arkansas has now lost two of its last three, but both have been closely contested games for much of the 40 minutes. Central Arkansas is in a tough stretch of games, including the first two of ASUN play, facing teams with strong potential to be NCAA Tournament teams come March. Missouri State is one of those teams, having been picked fourth in the Conference USA preseason poll after a 26-9 record last year.
Missouri State (7-5) has lost three-straight contests, albeit against very good competition in Kansas, Arkansas and Gonzaga. The Lady Bears took the Jayhawks to overtime on December 7
th, but have since suffered double-digit losses against the Razorbacks and Bulldogs. Last time out against Gonzaga, the Bulldogs' defense was just too much to overcome, as Missouri State shot 31 percent from the field and 20 percent from three.
The Lady Bears are led this season by Kaemyn Bekemeier, a junior guard that leads the team in scoring (16.6 ppg) and rebounding (7.8 rpg), as well as field goals (61), three-pointers (19) and free throws (58). The 5-9 guard has scored in double-figures in all but one game this season, and has two double-doubles.
Tip-off in Springfield is set for 1 p.m. on Monday. The game will be streamed on ESPN+, with live stats available online. Fans can also keep up with all the action at 91.3 The Bear, with Steve Owens on the call.
