Central Arkansas is one step closer to winning at least a share of the Southland Conference regular-season championship.
The Sugar Bears overcame Sam Houston State 54-49 on Thursday night in front of an announced crowd of 2,154 at the Farris Center in Conway.
UCA (18-8, 12-3) remained in first place in the Southland Conference with Thursday’s victory. It can clinch at least a share of the Southland title with a victory Saturday at home against Lamar and win the championship outright with victories at Northwestern (La.) State next Thursday and Stephen F. Austin on March 8.
The Southland Conference Tournament is March 12-16 in Katy, Texas.
“This was exciting and a huge win,” said Coach Sandra Rushing, who is in her second season at UCA after spending 10 years at NCAA Division II Delta State.
“All I want to do is praise this team - they fought hard tonight to get this win.”
Freshman guard Brianna Mullins led UCA with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting. She also made 2 three-pointers and had 4 rebounds and 2 assists.
Junior forward Terai Sadler finished with 11 points and six rebounds in a reserve role.
Senior center Courtney Duever, the reigning Southland women’s player of the week, was held to seven points and three rebounds. Duever had a career-high 36 points in UCA’s 62-54 victory over Oral Roberts last Saturday in Conway.
Angela Beadle, who led Sam Houston State with 15 points, tied the game at 47-47 with 3:18 left to play. But UCA freshman guard Maggie Proffitt hit a three-pointer at the 2:45 mark for a 50-47 lead. After the Bearkats’ Amanda Barnes missed a three-pointer attempt, Brittany Agee made a layup to make it 52-47 with 1:53 left.
Beadle’s layup pulled the Bearkats within 52-49 with 1:36 to play. Over the next 1:28, both UCA and Sam Houston State didn’t score, as Sugar Bears senior guard Micah Rice missed a three-point attempt and Beadle’s jumper didn’t fall.
Rice, though, made a layup with eight seconds remaining to extend UCA’s lead to 54-49.
UCA, which shot 44 percent (11 of 25) in the first half on its way to a 28-21 halftime lead, finished 21 of 45 (46.7) from the field. Sam Houston State (11-15, 6-9) shot 44.9 percent (22 of 49) from the field.
Lamar lost 84-78 at Oral Roberts on Thursday, leaving Stephen F. Austin as the only team that could catch the Sugar Bears to share the Southland title if UCA were to win Saturday.
Women’s standings THURSDAY’S GAMES Cent. Arkansas 54, Sam Houston St. 49 Oral Roberts 84, Lamar 78 Abilene Christian 78, Nicholls State 62 Northwestern State 73, SE Louisiana 58 McNeese State 92, Incarnate Word 37 S.F. Austin 68, New Orleans 38 SATURDAY’S GAMES All times Central Houston Baptist at Texas A&M-CC, noon Abilene Christian at McNeese St., 1 p.m. Lamar at Central Arkansas, 2 p.m.
S.F. Austin at SE Louisiana, 2 p.m.
Northwestern St. at New Orleans, 4 p.m. SOUTHLAND MEN CENTRAL ARKANSAS 80, SAM HOUSTON STATE 71
LaQuentin Miles scored 23 points as Central Arkansas (7-19, 4-11 Southland Conference) snapped a four-game losing streak with a victory over Sam Houston State (19-8, 11-4) at the Farris Center in Conway.
Sam Houston State jumped out quickly to a 12-4 lead - including three-pointers by Kaheem Ransom and Jabari Peters. But UCA stormed back, using an 18-6 run en route to a 38-34 advantage at halftime.
An 8-2 run to open the second half pushed the UCA lead up to 10 at 46-36.
Sam Houston State cut the lead to 70-66 with 2:56 left on a Peters layup. But a layup and free throw by Daouda Berete made it a seven-point game and the Bearkats made just one of their last six shots while UCA made 5 of 6 free throws.
DeShone McClure added 14 for UCA.
Peters led Sam Houston State with 18 points. Ransom finished with 16 points.
Sports, Pages 23 on 02/28/2014