LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Bellarmine University women's basketball team is at home this week, although that home will shift Thursday as the Knights will host Central Arkansas in a 5 p.m. (ET) contest in the KFC Yum! Center.

Bellarmine (7-19, 3-10 ASUN) has some experience competing in the KFC Yum! Center after playing the University of Louisville on the Cardinals' home court in 2020-21 and 2021-22. The Knights will be wearing pink uniforms in honor of those impacted by cancer.

This is a critical ASUN contest. The conference tournament consists of 10 teams, and Central Arkansas (8-15, 3-9 ASUN) and Bellarmine are 11th and tied for 12th, respectively. The Knights have five league games remaining while the Sugar Bears have six. Seven of the ASUN's 14 teams have notched between 3-5 league wins, so the opportunity to rise and solidify a place in the top 10 still very much exists.

The two head coaches have combined for 1,066 career wins. Central Arkansas' Sandra Rushing has amassed 587 victories in 34 seasons, while Bellarmine's Chancellor Dugan has accumulated 479 in 32 seasons.

Due to having consecutive games on Feb. 3 and 5 against North Alabama postponed, Central Arkansas is in the midst of a stretch where the Sugar Bears play six games in 13 days. The demanding cluster of contests, which includes three road games this week, began Monday as UCA was edged 63-58 at North Alabama in the first makeup between the two squads. The Sugar Bears preceded that matchup with a decisive 73-43 home win over Queens in earning their third ASUN victory.

Against North Alabama, Siera Carter came off the bench to pour in a game-high 23 points while Kierra Prim added 19. Both players finished one rebound shy of a double-double after recording nine boards each.

Randrea Wright is averaging 10.4 points per game. Prim is posting 9.4 along with a team-high 7.7 rebounds while ranking first in the ASUN in free-throw percentage (88.3). The Sugar Bears have continued to be strong defensively, ranking fourth in the ASUN in scoring defense (60.5).

Bellarmine is looking to end a six-game losing streak, with four of those setbacks decided by five points or less. The Knights are coming off a pair of heartbreakers on the road, as they fell 59-54 at Jacksonville State and 77-73 at Kennesaw State last week.

On Monday, Gracie Merkle boosted her ASUN record of Freshman of the Week accolades to eight. The 6-foot-6 center, who is also a three-time ASUN Player of the Week, ranks first in the conference in rebounding (10.9) and field-goal percentage (a nation's-best 71.5), second in blocked shots (2.4) and third in scoring (15.5). She also tops the league in double-doubles with 16 and has risen to sixth on the program's single-season rebounds list with 284 and tied for sixth in single-season blocks with 62.

Sophomore guard Hayley Harrison has scored a minimum of 15 points in four of the last five games and ranks second on the team in scoring at 10.7 points per game. Senior forward Sheniqua Coatney is coming off two straight 11-point outings where she also averaged 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists.

Freshman guards Jayla Butler and Miyah Brown had one of their best combined performances handling the ball Saturday at Kennesaw State. The duo dished out five assists apiece for 10 helpers against only three turnovers. Junior guard Mackenzie Keelin's 13 points against the Owls were her second most of the season.

TICKETS/PARKING: Original tickets from Bellarmine season ticket packages will be honored upon entry at the KFC Yum! Center. Bellarmine parking passes will be honored at the Witherspoon Garage. Fans are asked to use the First Street Entrance. All lower bowl sections will be general admission. Walk-up tickets will be available ($15, good for both women's and men's games).

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