CONWAY, Ark. – The Central Arkansas women's basketball team returns home after playing five of the last six at home. The Sugar Bears will play the next four in the Farris Center, starting with North Alabama on Wednesday. Tip-off against the Lions is set for 6:30 p.m.
Winning has been the name of the game for the Sugar Bears (17-6, 11-1 ASUN) for the last month, building a ten-game winning streak for the first time since joining the ASUN, including six on the road, a first in nearly a decade.
Leah Mafua was the catalyst for the last two, earning herself ASUN Player of the Week after averaging 21.5 points per game while down in Florida.
Mafua has been one of the top performers since the start of conference play, averaging 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, adding 17 steals in 11 games. She has three games of 20-plus points since the start of conference play, with a career-best 24 against both Jacksonville and North Florida. She has been a major factor in the Sugar Bears posting the second-best scoring margin in ASUN games, with the team outscoring opponents by nearly nine points as the team has moved to 11-1 in conference games.
Another big reason for the success in conference games has been the defense of
Bree Stephens. Recently crowned as the program's Division I block queen, Stephens has been on a completely different level than the rest of the ASUN, recording more blocks by herself (45) in 12 games than any other ASUN school. Her 3.8 blocks per game in conference has her two blocks ahead of second-place Stetson (43 blocks), and more than a full block per game more than four programs.
North Alabama (12-11, 7-5 ASUN) is in the middle of a stretch of four-straight on the road, having split last weekend's games. After defeating North Florida by five, the Lions were unable to replicate that at Jacksonville, falling 78-61. Three Lions scored in double-figures, led by India Howard's 14, but North Alabama allowed Jacksonville to shoot 44 percent from the field, compared to just 36 from the Lions.
This season, Charity Gallegos leads the team in scoring, averaging 14.0 points per game. She is the only player to average even 8.0 points per game, but five Lions average between 7.3 and 7.8 points per game. Gallegos also leads the team in three-pointers (45), assists (90) and steals (26). She has season-highs of 32 points, eight rebounds and nine assists.
North Alabama is currently tied for fourth in the ASUN standings, four games behind the Sugar Bears. The Lions have been excellent at home, going 5-1 in league play, but have struggled to a 2-4 showing on the road.
Tip-off against the Lions is set for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The game will be streamed on ESPN+, with live stats available online. Fans can also follow the action at The Bear 91.3, with Steve Owens on the call.
