FLORENCE, Ala. — A sluggish night in Florence saw Central Arkansas drop only its third ASUN game this season, closing the regular season with a rare loss at North Alabama on Saturday.

The setback moves the Sugar Bears to 21-8 on the year and ends the ASUN slate in second place with a 15-3 record. Kinley Fisher led the team with 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting, Nine Sugar Bears got in the scoring column, but the 66-56 final score snapped a seven game road winning streak for Central Arkansas.

Everything was falling in the first quarter, as the Sugar Bears raced out to a 12-6 lead halfway through the first. After North Alabama hit a three to cut the lead to three, UCA rattled off a 6-0 run to close the quarter, holding UNA to just nine points in the frame and doubling up the home team.

After trading buckets to open the second, UCA led by eight points, but North Alabama put together a 10-0 run to swing momentum and the scoreboard. Fisher answered with a 7-2 run of her own to keep the Sugar Bears out in front, but North Alabama continued to hit shots.

Destine Duckworth capped the quarter with two three-pointers with less than 90 seconds, including the second with six seconds left, sending the Sugar Bears into the locker room with a two-point advantage.

Fisher and Duckworth combined for 13 of the team’s 15 in the quarter, but four turnovers and offensive rebounds allowed the Lions to cut the lead almost all the way down.

Fisher hit a fadeaway jumper in the paint to open the second half, part of a 6-5 exchange between the teams that had UCA clinging to a three-point lead.

But North Alabama started finding shots, taking the lead for the first time in the second half with 5:25 in the frame.

While the Sugar Bears kept it close, North Alabma was able to hold the lead until the final shot of the quarter, thanks to a 4-0 burst by Cheyanne Kemp that gave UCA a one-point lead headed to the fourth.

Free throws proved to be the difference in the fourth, as the Lions continually found their way to the free throw line.

The UCA deficit stayed within two possessions until a double foul was called on the Sugar Bears, giving North Alabama four free throws that allowed the Lions to open up the lead. With less than 30 seconds to go, that effectively took the wind out of the sails of any comeback attempt.

The Sugar Bears will regroup for the ASUN Championship, with at least two rounds being held in the Farris Center.

A play-in first round between Jacksonville and Bellarmine on Friday will determine the opponent for UCA’s quarterfinal game on Saturday. Both games will tip off at 6:30 p.m.

Information from UCA Sports is included in this story.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Central Arkansas women’s basketball team got an up close look at what it takes to be one of the best teams in the nation on Sunday.

No. 9 Kansas State defeated the Sugar Bears 86-39, dropping their record to 4-2 to start the season. Both of UCA losses were to Power 4 Conference teams. Jade Upshaw and Randrea Wright led UCA in scoring with eight points each, Kinley Fisher had six points and Bree Stephens had five. Cheyenne Banks led the team in rebounds with four defensive rebounds.

It took some time for the Sugar Bears to adjust to the size and length of the Wildcats, and the first half was tough for UCA. Early turnovers created a double-digit deficit quickly, and UCA couldn’t find the offense to get back into it. It didn’t help that Kansas State has shooters at every spot surrounding their bigs, as the home team shot 53 percent from the field and 48 percent from deep.

The second half started off better for UCA, making five of their first six shots but Kansas State matched each bucket with one of its own. Despite signs of improved play in the second half, the Sugar Bears never threatened to close the gap with Kansas State. UCA did end up outscoring the Wildcats 14-9 in the game’s final quarter of play.

UCA returns home for its next game on Saturday against Little Rock at 1 p.m.

ATLANTA – Central Arkansas men’s basketball team fell behind early against Georgia Tech and couldn’t comeback falling 87-68 at McCamish Pavilion on Saturday.

The Yellow Jackets jumped out to a quick 9-0 lead and never looked back, improving their record to 4-3 overall. UCA, who was missing five players for Saturday’s contest, fell to 2-5 to start the 2024-25 campaign.

“The first two minutes of the game, they punched us in the mouth,” said UCA head coach John Shulman. “We’re down 10-0. (associate head coach) Brock (Widders) said with 3:30 to go in the game, we were down one in the second half. So if we just take care of the first two minutes, it’s a two-point game with three to play.

“I thought their athleticism and size wore us down and we could never get over the hump. It was a 9 to 12-point game the entire game. At an ACC venue, at Georgia Tech. So it is what it is. Their size and length hurt us. But I can’t ask Elias (Cato) and Layne (Taylor) and Brayden (Fagbemi) and Michael (Fagbemi) to do a whole lot more than what they’re doing. They’re all playing too many minutes.”

Layne Taylor led the Bears with 20 poiints and three rebound while Elias Cato had 17 and 4 and Brayden Fagbemi had 15 and six.

The Bears kept cutting into their deficit but the Yellow Jackets kept responding down the stretch in the second half. A Taylor three-pointer got UCA within 51-45 early in the second half. Another by Fagbemi made it a 58-51 margin with 13:00 left.

A 10-2 run by Georgia Tech pushed it back out to a 15-point lead with 8:30 remaining before Taylor nailed another corner three. Georgia Tech could never quite pull away from the Bears, despite making 13 three-pointers and winning the rebound battle 41-28, but UCA could not get the margin to single digits.

UCA has three consecutive in-state foes coming up, all on the road. The Bears play at Little Rock on Wednesday, at UAPB on Saturday and vs. Arkansas on Dec. 14 at Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock.