CONWAY, Ark. – The Central Arkansas women's basketball team returns home after two games on the road, playing host to North Florida on Saturday. Tip-off in the first UAC-ASUN Crossover game of the season is set for 1 p.m. in the Farris Center.
The Sugar Bears (2-1) grabbed a solid win on Monday, downing ULM 61-49 on the road.
Laylah Reese continues to play well in the early season, posting her first-career double-double against the Warhawks with 22 points and ten rebounds.
Tiani Ellison also produced off the bench, pouring in 14 points in just 17 minutes.
The duo continues to lead the Sugar Bears offensively, with Reese averaging 16.7 points and Ellison adding 11.3 points per game. Reese also leads the team in rebounding (8.7 rpg) and assists (9). The defense has also held up its end of the game, holding opponents to 29 percent shooting from the field.
Central Arkansas has never lost to North Florida, facing the Ospreys five times as ASUN opponents, and once before the teams joined the same conference in 2015. Last time the teams played was in January, where Central Arkansas took a 79-72 win in Jacksonville.
Cheyanne Kemp and
Jenna Cook both scored 16 points to help the Sugar Bears get ahead early in the game.
North Florida (3-1) has played one Power 4, two non-Division I opponents, and Little Rock, starting the year with three wins and an 11-point loss at Florida State. Last time out, the Ospreys downed the Trojans 71-64, edging out Little Rock in each of the first three quarters to establish a big enough lead going into the fourth. Four Ospreys scored in double-figures, led by Belle Ratliff's 16 points.
The Ospreys have been a balanced team so far this year, with eight players averaging between five and ten points per game. Ratliff leads the way with 10.5 points per game, but UNF has taken contributions from all over the roster in the early parts of the season. Seven players have taken at least 20 shots through four games, with no player hitting the 40-shot mark yet this season.
The Sugar Bears and Ospreys will tip off at 1 p.m. in the Farris Center. The game will be streamed on ESPN+, with live stats available online.
