The Central Arkansas women’s basketball team lost to Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) 64-51 in an ASUN conference game on Saturday afternoon in Fort Myers, Florida. The defeat drops Central Arkansas to an overall record of 8-6 and a league record of 1-1.
Cheyanne Kemp and Bree Stephens each scored 12 points for the Sugar Bears. Kemp led the offense in the first half, while Stephens contributed most of her points after halftime. Shae Littleford added ten points, marking her twelfth double-digit scoring game this season. Despite these efforts, Central Arkansas struggled with their shooting, making only 26 percent of their field goal attempts.
Central Arkansas’s defense forced 18 turnovers from FGCU, converting those into 21 points. In the first quarter, Kemp scored eight out of ten total Sugar Bear points, including two three-pointers and two free throws. After the opening period, FGCU held a 15-10 lead.
During the second quarter, Linda Amaning cut the deficit to three with an offensive rebound and putback. However, FGCU responded by extending their lead to double digits by halftime as Central Arkansas continued to have trouble finding consistent scorers.
In the second half, Central Arkansas increased defensive pressure with full-court presses that resulted in more turnovers—11 over the final two quarters—which led to 19 additional points for the Sugar Bears. Still, FGCU was able to break through at key moments and maintained their advantage at the free throw line.
Central Arkansas will return home next week for their first home games in over a month. They are scheduled to play Bellarmine on Thursday at 6:30 p.m., followed by a matchup against Eastern Kentucky on Saturday at 1 p.m.
