After Big First Half, Sugar Bears Hang on to Defeat SFA

Courtesy UCA Athletics Department

CONWAY — After a nearly flawless first half, Central Arkansas withstood a furious comeback from Stephen F. Austin and came back in the final minutes to escape with a 57-54 win and keep the Sugar Bears’ home winning streak intact.

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After building a 38-21 halftime lead, the Sugar Bears (10-4, 3-0 Southland) struggled for much of the second half as the Ladyjacks (6-9, 1-3) put together a 24-3 run to seize a six-point lead with 6:12 to go. However, SFA would score just three points from that point as the Sugar Bears closed it out with a 10-1 run to hold on for their 24th straight regular-season home victory and 12th consecutive conference victory at home.

Courtney Duever, who finished with 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season, was instrumental in the Sugar Bears’ decisive run as she scored eight points, grabbed two defensive rebounds and blocked one Ladyjack shot.

After the Sugar Bears regained the lead on a jumper from just inside the free throw line by Duever, she stopped the Ladyjacks’ next possession by pulling down the rebound on an errant shot from Porsha Roberts. After Roberts recorded a steal to give the Ladyjacks possession once again, Tracey Parsons responded with a steal of her own, stripping the ball from Daylyn Harris.

On the Sugar Bears’ ensuing possession, Desiree’ Rogers tracked down a missed shot by Parsons, eventually leading to another basket by Duever for a three-point Sugar Bear lead with 1:23 remaining. The only scoring following that came on a free throw by SFA’s Tierany Henderson with 25 seconds left, and one from Rogers with 16 seconds to go.

In the first half, it was Megan Herbert who was largely responsible for the Sugar Bears’ big lead – scoring 20 of her game-high 26 points. Herbert finished the game two points shy of becoming the fifth player at Central Arkansas and seventh in Southland Conference history to reach the 2,000-point mark. It was the 45th time she has scored 20 or more points in a game in her career.

Rogers added six points, nine rebounds and a pair of steals for the Sugar Bears, while Parsons had six points and a season-high eight assists to raise her average through three conference games to six per contest. Harris and Annette Davis each scored 15 points to lead the Ladyjacks.

The win makes it three out of the last four for the Sugar Bears against the Ladyjacks, who won the first six meetings between the teams.

The Sugar Bears conclude their home stand on Saturday at 2 p.m., taking on Northwestern State.

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