CONWAY, Ark. – The Central Arkansas women's basketball team is back in Florida for the next two games, playing the Jacksonville Dolphins on Thursday before turning around to face North Florida on Saturday. Tip-off against the Dolphins is set for 5:30 p.m. CT, while Saturday's game time is 1 p.m. CT.
The Sugar Bears are looking to put a run together as the ASUN schedule gets into the third week of play, sitting 9-7 overall and 2-2 in conference. Central Arkansas last played at home against EKU, dropping a rare decision in the Farris Center. The 64-54 loss was just the fourth home loss since
Tony Kemper took over as head coach, and just the second in the regular season.
Cheyanne Kemp had a team-high 13 points, but offense was tough to come by for most of the night. The junior also led the team with eight rebounds and a career-high four blocks.
Central Arkansas has won the last three meetings with the Dolphins, eclipsing 70 points in each of the victories. Last season, the Sugar Bears swept JU with a 74-63 win in Conway, followed by a 76-65 road win. In two games against the Dolphins,
Bree Stephens recorded 12 blocks, locking down the paint and becoming the Sugar Bears' Division I era leader in career blocks, a feat she accomplished in the road matchup.
The series against North Florida has been even more lopsided, with Central Arkansas winning all five meetings, including all four since joining the ASUN. Last year, the Sugar Bears won games of 67-53 at home and 72-59 win on the road. Both games saw the Ospreys shoot lower than 40 percent, while Central Arkansas had at least one quarter of 20-plus points in each game.
This season, Jacksonville is 10-5 overall and 2-2 in ASUN games, with conference wins over Lipscomb and Queens. Most recently, however, it was a road loss at West Georgia, with the Dolphins dropping a 74-59 final. Priscilla Williams had 15 points and 16 rebounds, but Jacksonville went 0-for-16 from three-point range and allowed five double-digit scorers on the other side.
Williams leads the team in scoring and rebounding this season, averaging 13.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. She started her season with four-straight double-doubles, including a 29-point, 10-rebound effort against Georgia Tech. She also leads her squad with 57 free throws, a key part of a team that has 100 more attempts at the charity stripe than its opponents.
North Florida enters the week 6-9 overall and 1-3 in league play. The Ospreys won their first ASUN game in their most recent one, downing Queens 64-51. Up two at half, UNF outscored the Royals in each of the third and fourth quarters, thanks to a combined 41 points from Alonya Waldon (21 pts) and Alexa Washington (20 pts). The duo reached the 40-point mark on just 18 total shots, making 13 field goals, including five threes, and ten free throws.
Waldon leads the team with 10.1 points per game, and Washington ranks third on the Ospreys with 8.8. North Florida has struggled rebounding the ball all season, pulling down just 32.3 rebounds per game, more than six boards fewer than its opponents.
Tip-offs in Florida are on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT against Jacksonville, then 1 p.m. CT on Saturday against North Florida. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+, with live stats available online. As always fans can follow the action on The Bear 91.3, with Steve Owens on the call.
