Lamar sports information

CONWAY, Ark. – Moe Kinard moved into the top 10 on Lamar’s all-time three-pointers list, but the Cardinals couldn’t overcome a sluggish start in a 51-39 loss to the host Central Arkansas Sugar Bears in a Southland Conference women’s basketball game on Saturday.

Kinard drained four three-pointers to boost her LU total to 101, moving her past Emily Spickler for 10th place on the LU charts. Kinard finished with a game-high 18 points for the Cardinals (8-6 overall, 3-1 Southland), who saw their three-game winning streak end while posting their lowest point output of the season.

The Cardinals and Sugar Bears each scored 34 points over the final three quarters, but it was Central Arkansas’ 17-5 edge in the first quarter that proved to be the difference. LU connected on just two of its 12 field-goal attempts in the first quarter (16.7 percent), including 1-of-8 (12.5 percent) from three-point range, while missing both free-throw attempts in the opening period.

For the game, the Cardinals shot just 26.8 percent with season lows of 15 field goals and 56 attempts. The Cardinals shot 24.1 percent (7-of-29) from three-point range and a season-low 25 percent (2-of-8) from the free-throw line.

Baileigh O’Dell was the only other LU player to score in double figures, as she came off the bench to add 10 points. O’Dell hit a pair of three-pointers, moving her career figure to 166, fourth all-time at LU.

Taylor Baudoin had a game-high 19 points for Central Arkansas (11-4, 4-0), while Kierra Jordan had a double-double of 10 points and 16 rebounds. The Sugar Bears shot 38.5 percent (20-of-52) from the field and 33.3 percent (5-of-15) from three-point range. Central Arkansas was 6-of-10 (60 percent) from the charity stripe.

LU cut the Central Arkansas lead to eight points in the fourth quarter, but could get no closer. Chastadie Barrs had a team-high four assists for LU and added two steals to push her career total to 352, just seven shy of the Southland Conference record of 359 held by Nina Randle of Louisiana-Monroe. The junior guard now has at least one steal in all 75 games of her career.

LU, which saw its three-game winning streak end, looks to get back to its winning ways when it travels to Southeastern Louisiana at 7 p.m. Wednesday. LU’s next home game is 7 p.m. Jan. 17 against Incarnate Word at the Montagne Center. The Cardinals are 5-0 at home this season, and have won 20 straight games at the Montagne Center dating back to the start of last season.