CONWAY, Ark. – The Central Arkansas women's basketball team gears up for a rematch with Florida Gulf Coast on Thursday, getting another look at the defending ASUN Champions. Playing this one in the Farris Center, the Sugar Bears and Eagles tip off at 6:30 p.m.
 
Central Arkansas (11-8, 4-3 ASUN) had a bit of a break after winter weather forced a rescheduling of last Saturday's game against North Alabama. So, the last time the Sugar Bears played was last Wednesday, at home against West Georgia. Facing one of the best teams in the ASUN, the Sugar Bears dismantled the Wolves, giving up just 66 points while the offense pulled farther away in each quarter. Shae Littleford, Bree Stephens, Cheyanne Kemp and Laylah Reese all scored 15-plus points in the win.
 
The 46 points in the paint against the Wolves were the most against a Division I opponent this year for Central Arkansas, and was a large part of the Sugar Bears shooting 51.5 percent from the floor, also a season-high against a Division I opponent. Nearly 20 games into the season, Littleford ranks fourth in the ASUN in scoring, logging 14.4 points per contest. Kemp sits just outside the top-10, averaging 12.5 points per game. Stephens continues to hold down the defense as the only player in the ASUN in the top-seven in both blocks and steals, and leads the ASUN's second-best scoring defense.
 
Last time the Sugar Bears and Eagles played was in early January in Fort Myers, where the Eagles took a 64-51 victory. Central Arkansas had its worst shooting game of the season, an outlier game that hasn't happened since, nor had it happened before.
 
FGCU (9-10, 5-3 ASUN) is going through a few firsts in its program history with back-to-back coaching changes. For the first time in their 23 years of women's basketball, the Eagles have lost ten games in a season, and for the first time since 2010-11, have three conference losses. FGCU were defeated in a pair of home games last week, dropping contests to Austin Peay and Lipscomb.
 
Since the start of conference play, Nay Staton has been the Eagles' leading scorer, averaging 13.0 points per game. The fifth-year forward leads the team with 35 field goals, 12 three-pointers and 22 free throws, and is one of two Eagles to shoot at least 60 times since the start of ASUN games, second on the team with 76 field goal attempts.
 
Tip-off against the Eagles is set for 6:30 in the Farris Center. The game will be streamed on ESPN+, with live stats available online. Thursday's game will also be available at 91.3 The Bear.