The Central Arkansas women’s basketball team secured a dominant 74-32 victory over Hendrix on Monday night in Conway, Arkansas. This win extends the Sugar Bears’ winning streak to five games and maintains their perfect home record at 3-0 for the season.
With this result, Central Arkansas improves to a 6-2 overall record. The team’s defense played a crucial role, holding Hendrix to just 32 points and forcing 24 steals during the game. Shae Littleford and Bree Stephens each scored 14 points, while Cheyanne Kemp contributed 13 points. Stephens also led the defensive effort with five steals, marking her third game of at least three steals this season.
The Sugar Bears started the game slowly on offense but quickly gained momentum after Kemp broke a tie with a three-pointer. Central Arkansas forced 13 turnovers in the first quarter alone, leading to a 12-point advantage after one period. Littleford, Stephens, and Jenna Cook accounted for all of Central Arkansas’s first-quarter points.
In the second quarter, Central Arkansas shifted its focus to inside scoring, capitalizing on its size advantage near the basket. Julianna Gibson extended the lead with an offensive rebound and putback, while Paris Santacaterina hit two three-pointers as Hendrix tried to defend inside play. Despite Hendrix narrowing the gap briefly, Central Arkansas ended the half with a strong run capped by Kemp’s fadeaway shot.
The defensive pressure continued in the second half as Central Arkansas limited Hendrix to just five points in the third quarter and held them to 22 percent shooting for the game. The team rotated players in the fourth quarter, giving playing time to thirteen different Sugar Bears while maintaining strong defense and conceding only eight points in that period.
Looking ahead, Central Arkansas will begin a four-game road trip starting Saturday against Little Rock at 6 p.m.
