Women’s Basketball — Central Arkansas pulls away late from Northwestern State

NATCHITOCHES – Despite not having its two best interior scorers and rebounders, Northwestern State dug out of a double-digit deficit and traded punches with rough-and-tumble Central Arkansas on Saturday.

But with the game tied with less than four minutes remaining, Central Arkansas quieted the orange-clad NSU fans by ending the game on a 13-5 run to secure the 61-53 win.

UCA’s Kierra Jordan and Kamry Orr combined for 11 of UCA’s last 13 points, while NSU shot just 31 percent from the field in the final period.

The Lady Demons (6-14) dropped their third straight game and fell to 1-8 in Southland Conference play.

“There’s definitely a lot of fight, and I told our ladies that I’m very proud of them,” said NSU coach Jordan Dupuy. “I don’t believe in moral victories, but I can walk out of the arena today with my head up high.

“I’m pleased with our energy. The only thing that’s missing is execution at the end of the game. We needed to use their pressure against them to score buckets late. I like the fact that we’re growing, but sooner or later, it has to translate into a victory.”

The Lady Demons were without leading scorer Cheyenne Brown (hasn’t played since Dec. 20) and Libba Gilliam (who scored 30 points at Southeastern), but NSU challenged a conference championship contender (UCA improved to 15-6, 8-2 SLC) with contributions from others.

UCA led by as many as 13 points late in the second quarter before NSU cut the Sugar Bears’ edge to a manageable 30-22 at halftime.

Sophomore Jocelyn Scott exploded for 11 of her 13 points in the third quarter as NSU took a 43-41 lead heading into the final period.

Scott’s 13 points is a career high, and sophomore forward Victoria Miller added a career-high 12 points.

Scott sparked the 21-11 advantage in the third quarter by knocking down a 3-pointer and completing a three-point play in the opening minutes.

“It doesn’t matter who does it or where it comes from, somebody every game has to step up,” Dupuy said. “Jasmyn Johnson was off tonight, but Victoria Miller stepped up and Leah Barnes did some good things.

“Jocelyn’s third quarter is definitely what got us backed into it. We ran isolation plays for her, and she scored. I asked her if she wanted the ball, and she said yes and made the plays. That’s huge, and it’s steps toward growth, but we have to make sure we stay consistent with it.”

A pair of Barnes’ free throws handed NSU a 38-37 edge late in the third quarter, its first advantage since Gabby Bell scored the game’s first basket.

A Scott 3-pointer with the shot clock running down toward the end of the third quarter allowed NSU to lead 43-41.

NSU scored 53 points against a UCA defense that ranks second nationally (48.6 points allowed per game), but the Lady Demons made just 14-of-24 free throws and committed 16 turnovers.

Freshman Jada Freeman contributed nine points and tied for a team high with six rebounds (Bell also had six).

For Central Arkansas, Orr (team-high 16 points) and Jordan (11 points, 10 rebounds) were two of four UCA double-digit scorers. Taylor Baudoin scored 12 of her 14 points in the first half, while Antonija Bozic (12 points) made four 3-pointers, most in crucial situations.

“We executed our defensive game plan very well,” said Dupuy, whose team held UCA to 39 percent shooting. “There were five breakdowns in the first half that led to 10 points.

“If you take those away and make free throws, we win. We had maybe one breakdown in the second half, so it got better after we talked to them at halftime.”

UCA held a 37-26 rebounding edge and an 11-4 advantage in both offensive rebounds and second-chance points. NSU actually outscored UCA 22-18 in the paint.

The Lady Demons host New Orleans on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m