Sugar Bears lose 11th straight game
LAKE CHARLES, La. The season came to an end on Saturday for the Central Arkansas Sugar Bears, but the McNeese State Cowgirls made sure theirs would continue. They clinched a berth in the the Southland Conference tournament with a 70-60 victory at Burton Coliseum.
"If you compare the two programs, if they win they are in the conference tournament," said UCA head coach Matt Daniel, completing his first year guiding the Sugar Bears. "We're basically just playing because we want to go out and play hard and set the tone for the future. If you look at that and see we only get beat 10 on the home floor to a conference tournament team there's a lot to be said for that."
The Sugar Bears (6-23, 2-14) finish the season on an 11-game skid, with their last win coming against the Cowgirls (14-15, 6-10) in Conway on Jan. 24. It was the first back-to-losing seasons in school history. They are 13-45 over the last two season UCA kept the game close throughout the first half, and trailed just 30-27 at halftime. But in the first half, the Sugar Bears - already playing without leading scorer Destinee Rogers, who was dismissed from the team earlier in the week - lost senior center Chorcelle Taylor after she was whistled for her fifth foul with just under two minutes remaining in the half.
The Sugar Bears scored the first four points of the second half to take a 31-30 lead, but the Cowgirls answered right back with eight of the game's next 10 points.
Mariesha Piggee cut the McNeese lead to one, 38-37, with 15:28 to go, but the Cowgirls quickly pulled away with a 20-4 run over the next seven minutes to take a commanding 58-41 lead.
"We've just got to get more athletic and knock down free throws and make basketball plays," Daniel said. "I appreciate the kids' effort today. I feel like we gave one away."
The Sugar Bears were led by Nakeia Guiden's 14, with Piggee adding 11. In her final collegiate game, Taylor had two points, a team-high seven rebounds and two blocks in nine minutes before fouling out. Carnisha Bolden,
UCA's other senior, was battling illness and was 0-for-1 with one rebound in four minutes.