The Sugar Bears basketball team (2-0) continued its winning streak, striking down the Hendrix College Warriors (2-5) by 65-54 in a Nov. 26 matchup at the Farris Center.
Junior forward Kierra Prim grabbed control of the matchup immediately, foreshadowing her court-commanding performance.
Prim took the lead instantly in the first quarter with three free throws and a jump shot before freshmen Hendrix guard Megan Gray scored a three-pointer bringing the score to 5-3, Bears up.
Prim continued her tear into the warriors, following their small gain with four more points through layups, bringing the score to 7-3
The Warriors answered Prim with a layup from junior Gaurd Kennedi Burns. Prim returned with two more free throws, bringing the score to 11-5.
The Bears continued to dominate, shutting out the warriors for the remainder of the first.
Sophomore guard Gloria Fornah garnered the Bears two points via free throws, quickly followed by teammate Kinley Fisher, a sophomore guard, who racked up three points off a jump shot.
Prim closed out the first with another jump shot, finalizing the quarter’s score 17-5.
The Warriors gained the first points of the second, with a shot from freshman guard and forward Shelby Heil. Junior guard Kennedi Burns followed with another shot minutes later for the Warriors, bringing the score to 17-9.
Just seconds later, UCA junior forward Kyjai Miles got her first points of the game with a layup, leading the Bears even further into the lead 19-9. Prim quickly followed with a layup of her own, assisted by teammate senior guard Kayla Mitchell.
UCA freshman guard Parris Atkins continued the Bears’ point streak with a layup.
The Warriors answered once again with another three-pointer from Gray, and a three-pointer from senior guard Madi Pierce, bringing the score to 23-15, the Warriors gaining.
UCA Coach Sandra Rushing huddled with her team following Pierce’s score, feeling the Warriors gaining steam.
Just seconds after stepping back on the court, the Sugar Bears gained two more points from a layup off senior guard Siera Carter.
Burns stepped up, grabbing a layup and free throw for the Warrior, bringing the score to 25-18.
UCA’s Miles garnered a layup closely followed by a jump shot from teammate sophomore guard Randrea Wright. UCA’s Mitchell grabbed her first point of the match with a layup with seconds remaining in the second.
The Warriors’ senior guard and forward Blysse Harmon finished out the quarter with a layup, ending the second with a score of 31-20, the Warriors down.
Hendrix’s Burns began the third with a jump shot, met by UCA’s Wright with a layup. Hendrix’s Harmon capitalized off a foul and managed two free throws — shrinking the Sugar Bear’s lead to just nine points at 33-24.
Hendrix’s Gray and sophomore guard Simone Shields trimmed the Sugar Bear’s lead down to just five points off two solid jump shots.
UCA’s Prim answered with a free throw, met with Hendrix’s Heil grabbing a jump shot — 36-30.
Mitchell didn’t let the Warriors celebrate long, extending the lead to 39-30 with a three-pointer. The Warriors would not score again in the third, which ended with the Bears in the lead by 18 points, 48-30.
In the fourth, the Bears took the torch once more with a three-pointer from Fisher. Warrior Pierce answered with a layup.
UCA’s Mitchell followed with a layup of her own, and Fisher with the next layup.
With the score at 55-32, Hendrix rallied to gain more points with two three-pointers from Pierce, a three-pointer from Gray and a jump shot from Shields. The effort netted the Warriors an increase, the score 55-43.
UCA’s Prim garnered two free throws, met by a layup, three-pointer, and free throw from Hendrix’s Blysse. Hendrix teammate Heil grabbed another layup marking a solid comeback effort leaving the score 57-51.
With only a six-point lead, the Sugar Bears made their final efforts with less than two minutes left in the game.
UCA’s Atkins showed up, netting two layups that put the Bears 10 points ahead, 61-51.
Hendrix’s Burns grabbed two free throws, diminishing the lead slightly. UCA’s Atkins grabbed yet another layup, followed by a free throw gain from Hendrix’s Shields.
The final point of the game came from Atkins’ final layup, creating an 11-point lead for the Bears, 65-54.
The Sugar Bears will be at home Saturday, Dec. 3, facing off against the Little Rock Trojans.