The Sugar Bears brought anything but sweetness to Bellarmine, handing the Knights an 85-37 Valentine’s heartbreak in a game that was anything but lovely for the home team.
Central Arkansas kept its momentum rolling Saturday night, securing a fifth straight win with the kind of suffocating defense that has become the Sugar Bears’ calling card.
The Sugar Bears improved to 16-10 overall and 9-5 in ASUN play, climbing into third place in the conference standings with four games left.
But on a night built around love, the team demonstrated its chemistry on the court. Sophomore guard Jenna Cook matched her career high with 21 points, knocking down five three-pointers while adding five rebounds and four assists. Every Sugar Bear who played more than five minutes scored, and the team finished with 25 assists on 32 made baskets, including dimes on the first 19 field goals of the game.
Head coach Tony Kemper said the team’s maturity showed early and never wavered.
“We didn’t press at all in the second half,” Kemper said. “Other than that, we just tried to go out and play another good half of basketball. We got our entire team in, and I thought top to bottom we performed well.”
The Sugar Bears wasted no time setting the tone of the game, jumping out to an 8-1 lead before unleashing a 10-0 run that pushed the margin to 14. UCA poured in 23 first-quarter points, more than doubling Bellarmine’s output. The starting five accounted for 16 of those points, establishing a rhythm that carried throughout the night.
The second quarter was even more lopsided. Central Arkansas scored the first 22 points of the period, holding Bellarmine without a basket for nearly nine and a half minutes. By halftime, the Sugar Bears led 48-12, shooting 53 percent from the field and 50 percent from three while limiting the Knights to just 1-for-12 shooting in the quarter.
Cook said the team’s opening burst set the tone for the rest of the night.
“In the first quarter, we came out like a mature team that was ready to get after it,” Cook said. “Making plays and hitting shots, that was a very important quarter for us to get better, and we took advantage.”
Even when the shots cooled in the third quarter, the Sugar Bears’ control never wavered. Bellarmine managed 14 points in the frame, more than its entire first half, but UCA responded each time the Knights threatened to build momentum.
By the fourth quarter, the Sugar Bears were back to their first-half form. Cook buried another three to push the lead to 69-29, and the bench took over from there. Kamryn Griffin added six points, two rebounds and three assists in a strong second half, while Carla Ramirez knocked down her first three-pointer as a Sugar Bear.
When the final buzzer sounded, UCA’s bench had outscored Bellarmine’s bench 51-0, and even outscored the Knights’ starters. All six reserves shot 50 percent or better and combined for 14 assists to just three turnovers.
Kemper credited his veterans for keeping the team grounded through the win streak.
“Our seniors have done a great job of leading all year,” he said. “Bree Stephens, Shae Littleford and Julianna Gibson have played a lot of games and are very solid and consistent with how they approach each day.”
Cook said the team’s defensive identity continues to grow.
“We held our fifth straight team under 50, which builds our momentum defensively,” she said. “From the start, we came out ready to play our best basketball.”
The Sugar Bears return home Wednesday to face Austin Peay in their second-to-last home game of the season. Tipoff at the Farris Center is set for 6:30 p.m. And if their recent stretch is any indication, Central Arkansas may not be done breaking hearts just yet.
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