CONWAY, ark.—  McNeese women's basketball suffered a 67-52 Southland Conference setback against Central Arkansas here Wednesday night that snapped a three game Cowgirl winning streak.
 
Junior Mercedes Rogers led the Cowgirls in scoring with 15 points and Caitlin Davis added 11 despite fouling out. Junior Frederica Haywood led all players with 12 rebounds, seven on the offensive board.
 
The Cowgirls shot 31.6 percent from the field (18-57), and made good on 4 of 10 three-pointers along with 12 of 20 free throws. UCA, one of the league's best shooting teams ended the game shooting 41.8 from the field (23-55) with only two of those field goals coming from behind the arc. UCA made 19 of 27 of their free throws.
 
For only the fifth time this season the Cowgirls were outrebounded. UCA held a 45-31 rebound edge over McNeese and scored 32 points in the paint and got 19 second chance points.
 
McNeese (9-8, 4-2 SLC) and UCA (12-4, 4-2 SLC) traded baskets early in the contest before the Sugar Bears took a seven point lead with three minutes left in the first quarter. McNeese outscored UCA 5-0 the rest of the quarter to cut the UCA lead to two points (19-17) at the end of the first quarter.
 
The Cowgirls got into early foul trouble with four players picking up two fouls in the first half including three starters. Starter Dede Sheppard went to the bench two minutes into the game after picking up her second foul.
 
McNeese came back to tie the game twice early in the second quarter but a UCA 15-9 run with five minutes left in the quarter gave the Sugar Bears a 35-29 halftime lead.
 
The Cowgirls got as close as six points (49-43) on a Sheppard three-pointer but couldn't stop another run by UCA late in the game as the Sugar Bears ended the game on an 18-9 run to pick up the win.
 
McNeese will return home this Saturday to host Northwestern State in a 1 p.m. game.