The UCA women’s basketball team secured its seventh conference win against the Austin Peay Governors in a close game, with a final score of 51-50.
“Austin Peay is a great defensive team so we knew points would be hard to come by,” coach Tony Kemper said. “That proved correct, but we did just enough to get the job done.”
The game had a swift start, with Austin Peay graduate guard JaNiah Newell scoring 2 points within the first 15 seconds of the first quarter.
UCA battled back with a jump shot by senior guard Jade Upshaw, followed by two tip-ins by senior forward Bree Stephens and senior guard Randrea Wright, gaining a 4-point lead less than three minutes in.
With the game sitting at 6-2, Stephens continued to widen the score gap with a layup.
The six-point lead didn’t last for the Sugar Bears (13-1, 7-1 ASUN), and the Governors battled back with a jump shot and a layup.
With four minutes remaining, Stephens stepped up to the challenge, scoring 2 points for the Sugar Bears, and continued the rally with a successful 3-point shot, making the score 13-8.
Austin Peay freshman forward Sa’Mya Wyatt tried to level the score with a 3-point shot, but UCA still held a 2-point advantage.
After a layup by freshman guard Anovia Sheals, the Sugar Bears ended the first quarter with a three-point shot by junior forward Destine Duckworth.
The first quarter ended at 16-13, but UCA saw a slow start in the next quarter.
While the swift first quarter was a fast-paced match, the second quarter saw a prolonged beginning.
A stagnant start plagued the Sugar Bears, and it took almost three minutes before UCA could increase the score gap in the second quarter.
UCA sophomore forward Elizabeth Abiara ended the scoring drought, securing two tip-ins in two minutes.
Austin Peay sophomore guard La’Nya Foster added 2 points to the board, but Upshaw bagged a three-point shot, making the score 23-15.
The Sugar Bears lost their footing, and within the last five minutes lost their 8-point lead.
Foster scored 5 points in those last five minutes, along with 2 points scored by senior guard Nisea Burrell and Wyatt.
UCA was in the lead at the end of the second quarter, 25-22.
The Governors (10-9, 5-3 ASUN) gained momentum in the third quarter, with Wyatt and Foster evening the score in the first two minutes, 25-25.
The Sugar Bears didn’t allow the tied score for long and gained 6 points after Upshaw’s two tip-ins and jump shot.
The last five minutes were a back-and-forth brawl, with Austin Peay matching almost every shot; however, UCA was fortunate to end the match with a 1-point lead, 40-39.
The fourth quarter started rapidly, with Austin Peay snagging a 2-point shot by Boddie.
Abiara leveled the score with a free throw, followed by UCA senior forward Cheyenne Banks securing a layup, 43-43.
Stephens and Wright continued the fight, gaining a 4-point lead after their layups.
With less than five minutes remaining, Wright completed a free throw adding yet another point, making the score 48-43.
The Sugar Bears battled against the Governors in those last few minutes, until Upshaw and Stephens added to the score with a jump shot and a free throw in the last two minutes.
The Governors couldn’t catch up to the Sugar Bears after their lead, and ended the match with a layup by Sheals, leaving the final score at 51-50.
“Our goal is to continue to keep on moving and getting better,” UCA senior guard Kinley Fisher said. “A challenge when playing away is dealing with the referees. That’s a challenge because you have to figure out how they are calling the game, and how you can guard the opponents.”
The Sugar Bears will return to the court Jan. 30 against West Georgia in Carrollton, Georgia.