Box Score



HAMMOND  – Central Arkansas senior guard Britney Gowans scored a career-high 23 points and led five Sugar Bears in double figures on the way to a 76-60 victory over Southeastern Louisiana in Southland Conference women's basketball action Saturday afternoon in the University Center.

For the third straight game, Southeastern (7-6, 0-2 Southland) suffered a loss in which its opponent shot over 50 percent from the floor. UCA (9-4, 2-0 Southland) connected on 54.5 percent (30-for-55) of its field goal attempts on the way to its third straight victory.

Junior forward Aja Gibson led Southeastern with 11 points, while junior guard Jameika Hoskins chipped in with 10 points. Senior forward Brandi Simmons, freshman guard Erica Hernandez and freshman forward Nanna Pool chipped in nine points each. Pool also pulled down a team-high eight rebounds, while sophomore guard Elizabeth Styles dished out a team-high four assists.

A 5-for-6 performance from behind the arc highlighted Gowans' career night. Two-time reigning Southland Player of the Year Megan Herbert, posted a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds in her final visit to Hammond.

Gowans and Herbert were joined in double figures by senior forward Desiree' Rogers (11 points), senior guard Tracey Parsons (10 points) and junior center Courtney Duever, who narrowly missed a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds. Parsons also led the Sugar Bears with a game-high seven assists.

UCA jumped out to an early lead, as a trey by Gowans gave the Sugar Bears an 18-6 lead with 13:04 left in the opening half. Southeastern answered with a 15-4 run that saw senior guard Cierra Morris cap with a put back that cut the lead to 22-21 with 6:26 left.

The lead was still just two after Hoskins hit a bucket to make it 29-27 with 3:09 remaining. However, Herbert and the Sugar Bears went on an 11-0 run to close out the first half with a 40-27 advantage.

Southeastern chopped into the lead over the first few minutes of the second half, as a bucket by Gibson pulled the Lady Lions to within, 45-38, with 16:08 remaining. However, a pair of Herbert free throws capped an 8-1 UCA run that pushed the lead to 53-39 with 12:56 left. The Lady Lions got no closer than 10 the rest of the way, as the lead ballooned to as much as 23.

Southeastern will be back in action on Monday, facing Lamar at 5:30 p.m. in Beaumont, Texas. The game will be broadcast live in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9) and on the Internet at www.LionSports.net.