Duever scores 22, Bears top Ole Miss

Sandra Rushing got her biggest victory yet in her short tenure at Central Arkansas on Sunday afternoon.

Senior center Courtney Duever had a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Sugar Bears to a 66-63 victory over Mississippi at the Tad Smith Coliseum in Oxford, Miss.

“I’m so proud of this win,” said Rushing, who came to UCA from Delta State in 2012. “I’m so excited. This is huge for our program and this young team. I’m so happy and proud for them, and our fans were great today and I really don’t even know what to say. I’m just really, really proud.”

UCA (2-0) trailed 37-27 at halftime, but came back to take a 50-48 lead with 10:40 to play on a steal and a layup by freshman guard Brianna Mullins. The Sugar Bears continued to lead until the Rebels’ Claudia Ortiz hit a three-pointer to put Ole Miss ahead 55-54 with 4:33 remaining.

Freshman Maggie Proffitt, who came off the bench to score 14 points and grab six rebounds with an assist and steal in 30 minutes, gave the Sugar Bears the lead again with 2:35 to play and senior Micah Rice followed a few seconds later with a steal and layup to push the UCA lead to 58-55.

The Rebels would not go down quietly, getting five consecutive points from Shequila Joseph to make it 62-60 with 29 seconds remaining. After an Ole Miss foul on the ensuing inbounds play, Duever made two free throws to make it 64-60, but Joseph had an answer with a three-pointer with 23 seconds on the clock to cut the UCA lead to just one.

Trailing 64-63, Ole Miss sent Proffitt to the line with 17 seconds to go, and after she missed the front end of a oneand-one, the Rebels had possession with a chance to regain the lead – but Ortiz misfired on a three-pointer with 10 seconds to play and Tia Faleru missed on her chance after grabbing the offensive rebound. Duever corralled Faleru’s miss, went to the line for two free throws with just over a second remaining, made both and the Sugar Bears left with a victory.