Sugar Bears Look to Extend Streak in Conference Home Opener

Courtesy UCA Athletics Department

CONWAY — Central Arkansas will make its first appearance in the Farris Center in 2013 on Thursday as the Sugar Bears play their Southland Conference home opener against Stephen F. Austin at 5:30 p.m.

SugarBearsL

After beginning league play on the road with wins at Nicholls and Southeastern Louisiana, the Sugar Bears (9-4, 2-0) will look to extend their 23-game regular-season home winning streak and 11-game streak in home conference games against the Ladyjacks, who are 6-8 overall and 1-2 in league action with a 66-47 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and losses to McNeese State (74-57) and Lamar (65-50).

The Ladyjacks are led by sophomore center Porsha Roberts, last season’s Southland Conference Freshman of the Year. Roberts is the lone Ladyjack averaging double figures in scoring, putting up 12.6 points per game in addition to grabbing a team-high 7.6 rebounds per contest. Junior forward Antionette Carter is second on the team with averages of 9.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.

SFA, long the premiere program in the Southland with a conference-best 15 league titles (Northwestern State is second among active Southland schools with three), has dominated the series with the Sugar Bears, holding a 7-2 lead. The Sugar Bears recorded both their wins over the Ladyjacks in 2011, winning 78-66 in Conway and then scoring a 64-58 win in the first round of the Southland Conference tournament.

The Ladyjacks won 54-45 last season in Nacogdoches in the conference opener, holding the Sugar Bears to just 13 first-half points and a 24.6 shooting percentage for the game. No Central Arkansas player scored more than eight points in that game, with Desiree’ Rogers and Courtney Duever each reaching that figure. Roberts had 12 points, six rebounds and three blocks for the Ladyjacks.

Despite that loss, the Sugar Bears would go on to a 14-2 league record en route to their first Southland Conference regular season championship. They will receive their championship rings at halftime of the UCA-SFA men’s game, which follows the women’s game, on Thursday night.

Tags: , ,