The UCA Women’s basketball team continued its impressive win streak at North Alabama Feb. 25. 

The Sugar Bears prevailed with a 62-55 score overall, against the Lions. 

Following this win, the Sugar Bears improved to 19-10 on the year and 12-5 in ASUN games with the win.

This marked the team’s eighth win in a row. 

Top scorer of the evening with 17 points in total, sophomore guard Jenna Cook, said, “we wanted to take care of business early in the week, and we were feeling good.” 

North Alabama started the game off strong with a 3-pointer, but UCA was quick to bounce right back and jump to a one point lead. 

The Sugar Bears were able to work together and fight UNA’s persistence of getting in the lead, eventually getting up to a 7-point lead in the middle of the first quarter. 

Cook touched on the team’s coordination in a post-game interview saying, “we respect each other so much … we want to help each other [and] get better together.”

North Alabama scored two more baskets soon after, but Cook was quick to score and keep the opposing team from officially catching up.

With a 3-pointer from freshman guard Emerie Bohonan, the first quarter ended strong. 

Bohonan helped the team straight into the double digits, jumping right back into the game for a powerful second quarter opening. 

For the duration of the quarter, the team continued with their momentum from the game so far, racking up a 15-point lead–right up until the last five minutes.

North Alabama caught its stride back when it scored 12 points, opposing UCA’s 6 points built up in the final minutes of the first half. 

UNA’s defense strengthened in the second half, though both teams fell short of its offense. 

UCA coach Tony Kemper said, “they did an excellent job of boxing us out in the second half.” 

The score lead went back and forth between double and single digits.

In the final quarter, the battle for the lead was almost won by UNA after scoring four points back-to-back, but the Sugar Bears were able to stay ahead thanks to Cook’s 3-point shot. 

Throughout the last quarter, multiple shots from sophomore Linda Amaninig and Kemp allowed the team to extend their lead.

In the last stretch graduate student guard Shae Littleford scored two baskets to lead UCA to its eighth consecutive win.

Kemper noted that the team has “grown so much in their ability to play and win” in a game that he called a “pressure cooker.”

The team was able to work together and be consistent and Kemper said they were hurt “here and there, [but] then in the last five minutes we tightened up and got it done.”