The Central Arkansas women’s basketball team secured its fifth consecutive victory with a commanding 85-37 win over Bellarmine on Saturday in Louisville, Kentucky. The Sugar Bears improved their overall record to 16-10 and moved to 9-5 in ASUN Conference play, advancing into third place in the standings with four games left in the regular season.
Jenna Cook matched her career high by scoring 21 points, including five three-pointers. She also contributed five rebounds and four assists. Every Central Arkansas player who logged more than five minutes scored during the game. The team recorded 25 assists on 32 field goals, assisting on their first 19 baskets.
Central Arkansas established control early, opening with an 8-1 lead before going on a 10-0 run to increase the margin. By the end of the first quarter, they led Bellarmine 23-10. The Sugar Bears’ starting lineup accounted for most of the early scoring.
In the second quarter, Central Arkansas held Bellarmine scoreless for nearly nine and a half minutes while scoring the first 22 points of the period. At halftime, Central Arkansas led 48-12 after shooting over 50 percent from both the field and three-point range in that quarter.
After halftime, both teams struggled offensively at first until Bellarmine hit a three-pointer midway through the third period. Although Bellarmine increased its offensive output compared to earlier quarters, Central Arkansas maintained a comfortable lead throughout.
The fourth quarter saw Central Arkansas return to form offensively and extend its advantage beyond 40 points. Cook added another three-pointer early in the period as bench players took over for much of the final stretch. Kamryn Griffin contributed six points along with two rebounds and three assists in the second half, while Carla Ramirez made her first three-pointer as a Sugar Bear late in the game.
By game’s end, Central Arkansas’ bench outscored Bellarmine’s entire roster by a margin of 51-0; all six bench players shot at least fifty percent from the field and combined for fourteen assists against just three turnovers.
Central Arkansas will host Austin Peay on Wednesday at Farris Center for its penultimate home game of this season. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
