TODAY’S GAMES

— UCA women vs. Nicholls State

WHEN 2 p.m. WHERE Farris Center, Conway RECORD Central Arkansas 13-7, 6-3 Southland Conference; Nicholls State 12-8, 4-5 SERIES Central Arkansas leads 11-3 RADIO KUCA-FM, 91.3, Conway INTERNET ucasports.com

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS

NICHOLLS STATE POS. NAME, HT, YR PPG RPG G KK Babin, 5-4, Jr. 12.0 3.6 G Jenny Nash, 5-10, So. 8.2 4.1 F Alisha Allen, 5-11, Sr. 15.4 5.8 F LiAnn McCarthy, 5-11, Jr. 9.0 3.6 F Jasmine Scott, 6-1, Jr. 7.8 5.8 COACH DoBee Plaisance (41-94 in fifth season at Nicholls State; 198-317 in 18 seasons overall)

CENTRAL ARKANSAS POS. NAME, HT, YR PPG RPG G Tracey Parsons, 5-7, Sr. 6.0 3.2 G Kelcia Bufkin, 5-6, So. 2.8 1.4 F Megan Herbert, 5-11, Sr. 19.1 11.1 F Desiree Rogers, 5-11, Sr. 8.1 5.6 C Courtney Duever, 6-1, Jr. 13.8 8.9 COACH Sandra Rushing (13-7 in first season at UCA; 416-262 in 24 seasons overall)

CHALK TALK Central Arkansas is 0-3 when allowing 70 or more points. In two of their past three games, the Sugar Bears have allowed at least 70 points in losses to McNeese State (77-61) on Jan. 24 and Southeastern Louisiana (70-64) on Thursday.

  • Jeremy Muck

UAPB women at Alabama State

WHEN 3 p.m. Central WHERE Dunn-Oliver Acadome, Montgomery, Ala.

RECORDS UAPB: 7-12, 3-6 Southwestern Athletic Conference; Alabama State: 6-14, 4-5 RADIO KUAP-FM, 89.7, in Pine Bluff

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS

ALABAMA STATE POS. NAME, HT, YR PPG RPG G Taila Arrington, 5-6, Jr. 2.9 3.2 G Kierra Paige, 5-5, So. 7.9 1.8 G Danielle Gazaway, 5-8, So. 6.5 3.2 F Ashley Jones, 6-1, So. 5.8 3.4 C Jasmine Peeples, 6-2, Fr. 2.3 2.9 COACH Freeda Freeman-Jackson (220-211 in 15th season overall and at Alabama State)

UAPB POS. NAME, HT, YR PPG RPG G Christina Lasane, 5-8, Jr. 6.5 5.2 G Cassidy Wright, 5-6, Fr. 11.2 1.9 G Lakendra Marsh, 5-3, Sr. 10.9 2.5 F Chi Chi Okwumbua, 6-0, Sr. 11.7 5.2 F Marion Thompson, 6-0, Jr. 3.3 4.4 COACH Nate Kilbert (118-168 in 10th season overall; 7-12 in first season at UAPB)

CHALK TALK UAPB has lost three of its past four games, giving up at least 65 points in each of the three losses. The Lady Lions are eighth in the SWAC in scoring defense (66.9 points per game), but Alabama State ranks ninth in scoring offense (56.6). The Hornets have been held to 53 points or less in each of their past four games.

  • Troy Schulte

UCA men vs. Nicholls State

WHEN 4 p.m. WHERE Farris Center, Conway RECORDS Central Arkansas 8-11, 3-6 Southland Conference; Nicholls State 6-13, 5-4 SERIES Nicholls State leads 8-6 RADIO KUCA-FM, 91.3, Conway INTERNET ucasports.com

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS

NICHOLLS STATE POS. NAME, HT, YR PPG RPG G Fred Hunter, 6-5, Sr. 18.3 7.3 G Shane Rillieux, 6-2, So. 6.1 2.4 G Jeremy Smith, 6-3, Jr. 8.5 2.8 G Linden Smith-Hyde, 6-2, Sr. 1.1 1.2 G Dantrell Thomas, 6-2, Jr. 13.6 5.2 COACH J.P. Piper (94-156 in ninth season at Nicholls State and overall)

CENTRAL ARKANSAS POS. NAME, HT, YR PPG RPG G Daouda Berete, 6-4, Fr. 5.2 2.7 G Robert Crawford, 6-5, Sr. 14.6 4.6 G LaQuentin Miles, 6-5, Jr. 15.6 4.6 G DeShone McClure, 6-3, Jr. 5.8 1.7 C Anthony Borden, 6-10, Sr. 7.6 4.2 COACH Corliss Williamson (21-56 in third season at UCA and overall)

CHALK TALK Nicholls State senior guard Fred Hunter is second in the Southland Conference in scoring with an average of 18.3 points per game. Hunter missed the 2011-2012 season while recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament he sustained during the 2010-2011 season.

  • Jeremy Muck

UALR women vs. South Alabama

WHEN 4:30 p.m. WHERE Jack Stephens Center, Little Rock RECORDS UALR 14-7, 6-6 Sun Belt Conference; South Alabama 12-9, 5-7 SERIES South Alabama leads 7-2 RADIO KARN-AM, 920, Little Rock

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS

SOUTH ALABAMA POS. NAME, HT, YR PPG RPG G Camille Reynolds, 5-4, Sr. 5.1 1.9 G Mary Nixon, 5-11, Sr. 11.8 4.4 G Mansa El, 5-9, Sr. 9.3 4.4 F Brianna Wright, 6-1, Fr. 7.6 4.9 C Veronica Cherizol, 6-2, Sr. 5.5 6.5 COACH Rick Pietri (215-163 in 12th season at South Alabama and overall)

UALR POS. NAME, HT, YR PPG RPG G Taylor Ford, 5-9, Jr. 8.5 5.0 G Ka’Nesheia Cobbins, 5-10, So. 4.5 3.3 F Kiera Clark, 5-11, So. 7.0 4.4 F Shanity James, 5-11, Fr. 6.8 4.5 F Hannah Fohne, 6-2, Jr. 6.7 6.7 COACH Joe Foley (187-112 in 10th season at UALR; 643-193 in 26th season overall)

CHALK TALK Junior guard Taylor Ford has picked up her scoring during UALR’s recent surge. She has made a three-pointer in five consecutive games and is averaging 14.0 points over the past three games, all UALR victories, to help raise her scoring average from 8.0 points per game to 8.9. She had 16 points in Wednesday’s victory over Louisiana Tech.

  • Troy Schulte

UAPB men at Alabama State

WHEN 5 p.m. Central WHERE Dunn-Oliver Acadome, Montgomery, Ala.

RECORDS UAPB 8-13, 7-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference; Alabama State: 6-16, 4-5 RADIO KUAP-FM, 89.7, in Pine Bluff

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS

ALABAMA STATE POS. NAME, HT, YR PPG RPG G Joshua Freelove, 6-2, Jr. 12.7 2.9 G Bobby Brown, 6-6, Fr. 6.3 4.0 G Jamel Waters, 5-9, Fr. 6.0 2.4 F Phillip Crawford, 6-7, Sr. 9.5 3.6 F Shawntez Patterson, 6-7, Sr. 7.8 5.0 COACH Lewis Jackson (115-127 in eighth season overall and at Alabama State)

UAPB POS. NAME, HT, YR PPG RPG G Lazabian Jackson, 6-0, Sr. 11.0 4.3 G Tevin Hammond, 6-0, Jr. 7.1 3.3 F Davon Haynes, 6-8, Jr. 12.0 7.0 F Terrell Kennedy, 6-6, Sr. 14.1 4.6 F Daniel Broughton, 6-8, Jr. 7.6 4.6 COACH George Ivory (57-93 in fifth season at UAPB and overall)

CHALK TALK UAPB will try to bounce back from Monday’s loss to Jackson State, which snapped the Golden Lions’ two-game winning streak. It also prevented UAPB from pulling into a tie for first place in the SWAC with Southern University of Baton Rouge.

UAPB, which is ineligible for the postseason, is a game behind Southern with a game against the Jaguars on Feb. 9 in Pine Bluff.

  • Troy Schulte

ASU men vs. North Texas WHEN 7:05 p.m.

WHERE Convocation Center, Jonesboro RECORDS Arkansas State: 13-8, 7-5 Sun Belt Conference; North Texas: 8-15, 3-9 RADIO KKSP-FM, 93.3, Little Rock; KFIN-FM, 107.9, Jonesboro INTERNET astateredwolves.com

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS

ARKANSAS STATE POS. NAME, HT, YR PPG RPG G Cameron Golden, 6-0, Fr. 6.7 2.9 G Trey Finn, 6-2, Sr. 9.5 5.0 G Ed Townsel, 6-0, Jr. 14.6 3.5 G Marcus Hooten, 6-3, Sr. 6.6 2.0 F Brandon Peterson, 6-8, Sr. 11.1 9.4 COACH John Brady (74-74 in five seasons at ASU; 354-290 in 22 seasons overall)

NORTH TEXAS POS. NAME, HT, YR PPG RPG G P.J. Hardwick, 5-10, Fr. 3.3 2.9 G Jordan Williams, 6-6, So. 13.0 3.4 G Roger Franklin, 6-5, Sr. 10.8 6.0 F Troy Mitchell, 6-8, So. 13.8 8.2 F Niko Stojiljkovic, 6-9, Sr. 2.2 2.1 COACH Tony Benford (8-15 in first season at North Texas and overall)

CHALK TALK Arkansas State moved within a game of UALR in the Sun Belt West Division standings with a victory over South Alabama on Thursday. The Red Wolves play North Texas today and games at Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky before UALR visits Feb. 14. North Texas is coming off a 105-74 loss to Louisiana-Lafayette, its third consecutive loss, and the Mean Green are 2-6 since Jan. 5.

  • Troy Schulte

Sports, Pages 26 on 02/02/2013

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