CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Interstat) — The Central Arkansas Bears delivered a defensive masterclass on Wednesday night, suffocating the Queens Royals from the opening tip to cruise to a 64-39 victory in an ASUN Conference women’s basketball game at Levine Center.

The tone was set in a disastrous first quarter for the home team. Queens managed just six points, missing 10 of its 12 field goal attempts and committing five turnovers. Central Arkansas, meanwhile, methodically built a 14-6 lead behind early baskets from Paris Santacaterina and Shae Littleford, and never looked back.

The most important part of the game was the Bears’ immediate and unrelenting defensive pressure, which completely dismantled the Royals’ offensive flow. Queens never scored more than 11 points in any quarter and finished the night with a season-worst offensive rating of 54.4 points per 100 possessions. The Royals shot a frigid 28.3% from the floor, including 16.7% from three-point range, and compounded their woes by making only 6 of 14 free throws.

Central Arkansas guard Cheyanne Kemp, a 5-foot-8 sophomore from Morrilton, Arkansas, was the primary offensive catalyst, exploiting the Royals’ struggles to score a game-high 26 points on 11-of-23 shooting. She added five rebounds and three steals in 30 minutes. Fellow guard Shae Littleford supported with 15 points, hitting two three-pointers.

The Bears led 29-17 at halftime and extended the advantage to 43-28 after three quarters. Any fleeting hope of a Queens rally was extinguished early in the fourth when Kemp scored seven points during a 9-3 Central Arkansas run that pushed the lead to 52-31 with 6:44 remaining, allowing the Bears to empty their bench.

Queens was led by Breah Franks, a 6-foot-3 forward from Greenville, South Carolina, who scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds. Dayuna Colvin of Kennesaw, Georgia, dished out five assists but was held to six points on 2-of-8 shooting.

Central Arkansas improved to 12-10 overall and evened its conference record. The Bears dominated the interior, outscoring Queens 30-20 in the paint, and capitalized on their defensive effort with 11 steals, leading to 12 points off turnovers. The Royals, who fell to 8-14, were hampered by 18 turnovers and managed only five assists as a team.

The victory snapped a two-game skid for Central Arkansas, which had lost close contests to Stetson and Florida Gulf Coast in its previous two outings. Queens, coming off a 15-point loss to Eastern Kentucky, has now lost three of its last four.

Central Arkansas returns home to face Lipscomb on Saturday. Queens continues its homestand against North Alabama, also on Saturday. The two teams are scheduled to meet again in Conway, Arkansas, on Feb. 27.