CONWAY, Ark. (Interstat) — A key ASUN Conference rematch awaits Thursday when the Central Arkansas Bears host the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles at the Farris Center.

The Bears (11-8, 3-3 ASUN) will look to avenge a 64-51 road loss to the Eagles (9-10, 4-2) just over three weeks ago on Jan. 3. That result is part of a recent divergent path for the two teams. Central Arkansas has won two straight, including an 87-66 rout of West Georgia last Wednesday behind 15 points from guard Laylah Reese. Florida Gulf Coast has dropped three consecutive games, most recently a 53-44 home loss to Lipscomb on Jan. 24.

Reese, averaging 9.2 points per game, has been a catalyst for the Bears. She is coming off a season-high 15-point performance and will be central to Central Arkansas’s offensive plans. The Bears’ backcourt also features Shae Littleford, who scored 17 points in the win over West Georgia.

For the Eagles, stopping the slide will require finding consistent offense. Guard Maca Retamales provided a spark off the bench against Lipscomb, scoring a team-high 12 points in just 13 minutes. Her production will be needed to supplement a lineup that includes regular contributors Cerina Rolle and Sinai Douglas.

Despite their losing streak, the Eagles hold the upper hand in the conference standings and have the psychological edge from the January win. In that game, Florida Gulf Coast’s defense held Central Arkansas to 32.8% shooting from the field.

The Bears, however, have been strong at home this season and will rely on that advantage as they seek to even the season series and improve their conference positioning. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CST Thursday.

Following this game, Central Arkansas will host Stetson on Saturday. Florida Gulf Coast continues its road trip at North Alabama on Saturday.