01/28/2026

CONWAY, Ark.— The Florida Gulf Coast University women’s basketball team looks to recover from a 53-44 home loss to Lipscomb University when it travels to Conway, Arkansas, to play Atlantic Sun Conference opponent the University of Central Arkansas at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Farris Center.

In the Eagles’ loss, the Bisons dominated the interior outscoring FGCU 26-8 in the paint. Lipscomb also scored 21 points off 21 FGCU turnovers. Maca Retamales led FGCU with 12 points, all coming from beyond the arc.

Sinai Douglas currently leads the Eagles in scoring with 198 total points. Nay Staton is second with 196 points and Cerina Rolle is third (137). The trio averages 27.9 points per game. Staton leads FGCU on the boards with 106 rebounds. Douglas has a team-high 59 assists and 30 steals, while Eve Alexander leads the team with 12 blocks

FGCU (9-10, 5-3 ASUN) is looking for a season sweep of Central Arkansas (11-8, 4-3 ASUN) after beating the Sugar Bears 64-51 at Alico Arena on Jan. 3. In that meeting, Douglas led the Eagles with 12 points, including a 6-of-8 performance from the free-throw line. Staton dominated the glass, finishing with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Eve Alexander added 10 points.

The difference came at the free-throw line and on the boards. FGCU converted 21 free throws compared to 15 for Central Arkansas and held a 43-29 overall rebounding advantage. The Eagles’ defense was particularly effective on the glass, limiting the Sugar Bears to 19 defensive rebounds.

Central Arkansas looks to extend its winning streak to three games on Thursday, after a 79-72 win over North Florida on Jan. 17 and an 87-66 win over the University of West Georgia on Jan. 21.

Shae Littleford led the Sugar Bears scoring 17 points on 7-for-13 shooting from the field and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. Bree Stephens added 16 points, while Cheyanne Kemp and Laylah Reese each had 15 points.

Central Arkansas controlled the interior and the glass, outscoring West Georgia 46-20 in the paint and outrebounding the Wolves 38-27. The Sugar Bears also scored 17 points off 14 West Georgia turnovers.

Littleford leads Central Arkansas with 276 total points (14.5 per game). Kemp is second with 237 points and Stephens is third (206). The trio has an average of 37.8 points per game. Stephens also leads the team with 148 rebounds, 53 assists, 30 steals and 28 blocks.

For FGCU to secure the road win, they must rediscover the defensive suffocated that defined their January victory over the Sugar Bears. The Eagles’ blueprint for success starts with elite glass-to-glass coverage, spearheaded by Nay Staton and Eve Alexander.

By replicating the effort that limited Central Arkansas to just 19 defensive rebounds in their first meeting, FGCU can kill second-chance opportunities and force the Sugar Bears into a half-court grind. If Sinai Douglas can apply high-pressure ball defense to disrupt Central Arkansas’ rhythm—similar to the 30 steals she has already racked up this season—the Eagles can dictate the tempo and turn the Farris Center into a low-scoring defensive battle that favors their physical style of play.