CONWAY, Ark. — On Tuesday, Central Arkansas defeated Eastern Kentucky in the ASUN Tournament semifinals. The Sugar Bears will now prepare for their first ASUN championship game appearance in program history when they battle top-seeded Florida Gulf Coast for a shot at making it to the Big Dance.
"It's March, so I mean, it's kind of your dream to come play Division I basketball and get to that tournament," UCA guard Kinley Fisher said. "I don't think there's any added pressure. I think it's more exciting to be the first program. We've had so much love, especially from the student body and all my professors these past few days."
UCA guard Randrea Wright said she wouldn't believe it if she had been told about this scenario last year.
"If you had told me we'd play in an ASUN championship this year, I wouldn't have believed it," Wright said. "We've been through a lot."
Playing FGCU will be a challenge for UCA. The Eagles beat the Sugar Bears 65-43 in February. FGCU has also defeated Power Five teams like Kentucky and North Carolina.
"The first one's got to be a learning experience, right? UCA first-year head coach Tony Kemper said. "They really got after us. I think the first thing we've got to handle is the highs and lows of a typical basketball game. There's a lot of adversity."
It's been quite the turnaround for the Bears this season.
Last year, UCA went 3-12 in conference play, and this season, they went 11-5. A win will send the Sugar Bears dancing for the first time since 2017.
Kemper had big plans for his first year in Conway.
"Do you believe it can happen? Absolutely," Kemper said. "You're a competitor [and] that's what you set out for the year to do. I also don't know that you think about it in those terms until, I guess, it was Tuesday night. You are 40 minutes away, and a great effort puts you one game away from the NCAA Tournament."
Central Arkansas will play the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles on Saturday at 6 p.m. in Fort Myers for the ASUN championship. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.