The women’s basketball team continues to stay undefeated at home with a win against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels on Feb. 17 with a final score of 83-49.

The Sugar Bears (18-8, ASUN 10-3) beat the Colonels (19-8, ASUN, 8-5) 83-49 with a big first quarter holding the Colonels at 0 points.

The help came from junior forward Bree Stephens, who was responsible for the team’s 11 out of 17 points, scoring 9 points and one assist.

“She’s [Stephens] a heck of a player,” coach Tony Kemper said. “We knew what we were getting as far as floor stretching ability or passing ability, and so you’re starting to see a more complete game.”

The Sugar Bears dominated the whole game, only allowing Eastern Kentucky’s fifth-year senior forward Sierra McCullough to score her team’s first point off a free throw after UCA scored 22 consecutive points.

“We wanted to do a better job on 13 [graduate student guard Antwainette Walker] and 30 [senior guard Alice Recanati],” Kemper said. “We wanted to rebound well and transition, we wanted to push the ball too.“  

Stephens finished with 14 points and nine rebounds. Junior guard Randrea Wright had 16 points and three steals. Junior guard Leah Mafua had 12 points and eight rebounds.

“I think that gave us all confidence in the first quarter,” Stephens said, referencing the 17-0 first quarter. “We just focused on that, we have to keep our defense just as good as it was.”

He said, “We came out ahead, so we stuck to that game plan because it obviously worked for us so I think it was good.” 

The Sugar Bears held Eastern Kentucky to shoot 31% and 15% from three, compared with UCA shooting 50% and 35% from three.

The Sugar Bears look to wrap up the rest of their away games. Their next game is against Austin Peay (13-13, ASUN 6-6) at 6 p.m. on Feb. 22.

The Sugar Bears are currently ranked third in the ASUN Conference with three games left.