27 Dec 2023 Huge first quarter propels Sugar Bears to win over Northwestern State

CONWAY – Opening with a dominant first quarter, the Central Arkansas women’s basketball team cruised to a 75-57 win over Northwestern State on Dec. 20. The Sugar Bears used four double-digit scorers to close out the pre-Christmas portion of the schedule with a solid victory.

The win improved the Sugar Bears to 7-5 on the season and a perfect 4-0 in the Farris Center, downing a former Southland Conference rival with an offense that was firing on all cylinders on Wednesday. Central Arkansas shot 54 percent on the day, producing high-quality, efficient scoring all day. Leah Mafua was terrific on both sides of the ball, leading all scorers with 18 points and shutting down the Lady Demons’ top offensive weapon.

In addition to Mafua, three other Sugar Bears scored in double-digits, with Kinley Fisher scoring 14 off the bench, and Jade Upshaw and Randrea Wright each adding 12. Overall, ten Sugar Bears got on the scoreboard, including Kayden Beckwith, who scored her first collegiate point late in the fourth quarter as part of the icing on the cake.

Shots were falling from anyone and everyone in the first quarter. After being tied at 4-4, the Sugar Bears locked in and locked down, outscoring the Lady Demons 22-8 over the final seven minutes, dropping four three-pointers along the way. Mafua and Wright were the catalysts for the offense, combining for 15 points while shooting 6-for-8 with three triples. The duo is in an excellent groove offensively, after leading the team in scoring against Kansas in the last game. Over their last two appearances, Mafua is averaging 16.5 points, while Wright holds a two-game average of 14.5.

Central Arkansas raced out to a 14-point lead in the first after shooting 66.7 percent from the field and 50 percent from three, all while limiting Northwestern State to just 41 percent shooting and forcing six Lady Demon turnovers.

But Northwestern State wouldn’t go lightly, bouncing back in the second quarter to cut into the lead. After maintaining a double-digit lead for much of the frame, a quick spurt at the end of the first half saw the Lady Demons cut the lead to just five points, stringing together a 6-0 run to make it a two-possession game with under a minute to go. But Wright, the calming presence at the point guard spot, converted a three-point play with four seconds on the clock to bump the lead back to eight before halftime.

Upshaw was also a stabilizing force in the second quarter, shooting 4-for-4 en route to eight points, marking herself as the first double-digit scorer of the day. The junior guard used a bevy of crafty moves in the midrange to wiggle into shooting space, lacing fadeaways over and around defenders.

The lead stayed around the ten-point mark throughout the third quarter, as both teams battled to turn the tide in their favor. The Sugar Bears got a little sloppy with some possessions, committing four turnovers in the third. But in response, Central Arkansas played excellent defense, holding the Lady Demons to 38 percent shooting and running shooters off the line to prevent any momentum-swinging shots from even getting up.

Central Arkansas opened up the fourth quarter with a 7-0 run, forcing three-straight turnovers from Northwestern State to break open the lead to 18 points midway through the quarter. From there, the lead never got as low as 15, as the Sugar Bears cruised through the finish line, building the advantage over 20 several times throughout the frame. The final point for the home team came at the free throw line, with Beckwith checking in and maneuvering her way into getting fouled. The Conway native registered her first collegiate point, much to the delight of the Sugar Bear bench and those in attendance supporting the freshman guard.

With the win, the Sugar Bears end the fall semester with a perfect 4-0 showing at home, earning a pair of solid wins over UT Martin and Northwestern State along the way. The 54 percent shooting is the third game of the season in which the Sugar Bears eclipsed the 50-percent mark, and the team heads into the break shooting 42 percent on the year. Northwestern State shot just 22 percent from three, the sixth time a team has shot under 25 percent from beyond the arc against Central Arkansas.

Up next for the Sugar Bears is a road game right before New Years, playing at Alabama A&M on Dec. 29. Tip-off against the Bulldogs is set for 2 p.m. in Huntsville, Ala.