Sugar Bears stay unbeaten with road win at UT-Martin

MARTIN, Tenn. – The Central Arkansas women’s basketball team remained undefeated over the weekend in its first road game of the season.

UCA (3-0) had no problem knocking off Tennessee-Martin 87-67 and keeping the home team winless through its first four games.

Jade Upshaw led the Sugar Bears in scoring with a career-best 22 points that included four three-pointers. Kinley Fisher added 14, and Leah Mafua and Cheyanne Kemp each scored 11.

One on the road, WON ON THE ROAD!#BearClawsUp pic.twitter.com/UbWMTpVyd3

— Sugar Bear Basketball (@ucawbb) November 17, 2024

The Sugar Bears leapt out with a 10-0 run to jump ahead 12-4. UT Martin was able to whittle the lead down to a single possession in the opening pair of minutes of the second quarter, but a driving layup by Upshaw steadied the momentum. The teams battled back and forth around a five-point lead, with UT Martin not able to close the gap, but Central Arkansas unable to make a push to grow it. Finally, a 7-0 run midway through the frame gave the Sugar Bears their first double-digit lead of the game, capped by a three-pointer from Upshaw.

Central Arkansas started the fourth with a five-minute, 12-0 run to really extend the lead, breaking the game open to move ahead 22 points with under five minutes to go. By the time the Skyhawks scored their first point of the quarter with 3:40 to go, it was too little, too late.

UCA will have hard time remining unbeaten in its next Wednesday when the Sugar Bears travel to Stillwater, Okla. to face Oklahoma State (4-0). Tip-off is scheduled for 11 a.m. UCA has faced Oklahoma Sate just once in its history, with Oklahoma State winning 72-51 in 2012.