LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Bellarmine University women's basketball team is bracing for its first road week in Atlantic Sun Conference play, as the Knights will travel to Central Arkansas for a 7:30 p.m. ET (6:30 CT) contest Thursday before heading to North Alabama for a 3 p.m. (2 CT) matchup Saturday.

ABOUT CENTRAL ARKANSAS
Central Arkansas (8-6, 1-1 ASUN) has been the ASUN Tournament runner-up the last two seasons, and the Sugar Bears were picked second in the ASUN preseason coaches' poll behind reigning champion FGCU. The two teams squared off Saturday, with host FGCU pulling away in the third quarter en route to a 64-51 win. However, UCA opened conference play with a decisive 65-43 win at Stetson. The Sugar Bears rank first in the ASUN in defensive field-goal percentage (.343) and turnover margin (plus-5.29), second in scoring defense (57.9) and third in rebounding margin (plus-3.6) and 3-pointers made (8.6 per game). Forward Bree Stephens, the reigning ASUN Defensive Player of the Year and 2025-26 Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, ranks second in the conference in total blocks (22), is tied for third in rebounding (7.9) and is tied for fifth in total steals (25) while averaging 11.8 points per game. Guard Shae Littleford is tied for fifth in the league in scoring (13.9).

ABOUT NORTH ALABAMA
North Alabama (5-8, 0-2) will host Eastern Kentucky on Thursday before welcoming the Knights. The Lions opened ASUN play with losses at FGCU (51-44) and Stetson (76-59) and are attempting to halt a five-game skid. Forward Sofia Ceppellotti is the team's leading scorer (11.8) and rebounder (5.9). Guard Alexsandra Alvarado averages 10.8 points and ranks fifth in the ASUN with 26 3-pointers made.

KNIGHTS NOTES
• Central Arkansas owns a 5-2 series lead over Bellarmine. The teams split a pair of games last season, with the Knights capturing a 68-60 home win in the regular-season matchup before the Bears notched a 77-57 victory in Conway in the quarterfinals of the ASUN Tournament.
• North Alabama holds an 8-1 series lead over Bellarmine in the D1 era, including a 90-89 overtime win in Knights Hall last season. The Lions are on a seven-game winning streak versus the Knights.
• Bellarmine will also host both opponents this season. The Knights will welcome Central Arkansas on Feb. 14 and North Alabama on Feb. 18.
• While Bellarmine opened ASUN play with two home games, the Knights are still in the midst of a stretch of playing seven of nine on the road. BU was on the road for the entirety of December. The Knights' five-game road segment leading into conference action included games at high majors Louisville, Illinois, Arizona and Notre Dame.
• Bellarmine (2-13, 0-2) fell 58-46 Thursday in its ASUN debut against Queens. The Knights were within six of the Royals with 45 seconds left before QU turned them back. BU was then defeated 106-65 Saturday by West Georgia, with the Wolves taking control for good in the second quarter.
• Largely due to an epidemic of injuries, Bellarmine has been limited to seven or eight players the last 10 games. The Knights played with seven against both Queens and West Georgia.
• All three of Rose Jamison's highest-scoring outings have come over the last four games. The redshirt junior guard/forward netted 20 points against Arizona and 17 apiece against Notre Dame and West Georgia. Before coming to BU, Jamison became Napa Valley College's all-time leading scorer after amassing 1,112 points in slightly over two seasons.
• Kayce Hyman has set a new career high in scoring in each of the last two games. The sophomore forward supplied 14 points against Queens and 16 against West Georgia.
• Sophomore forward Rachel Shropshire's 11 points against West Georgia were a career high. Her six rebounds were a game high.
• Sophomore guard Ava Smith's 11 points against West Georgia marked her seventh double-digit effort of the year.

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