Arkansas
WBB Preview: Arkansas vs. Central Arkansas
FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas women’s basketball (2-0) will look to win its third straight game of the 2025-26 season on Monday night when it hosts Central Arkansas (1-1) at Bud Walton Arena.
Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m. and the game will be televised live on SEC Network with Sam Gore (play-by-play) and Tamika Catchings (analyst) on the call.
Monday’s game will honor our veterans as the Salute to Service game, prior to Veterans Day on Tuesday.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Arkansas and UCA will meet for the seventh time overall and the fifth time in Fayetteville on Monday evening. The teams played each other for the first time in 1978 but didn’t meet again until 2020. This year’s meeting will mark the sixth straight, dating back to 2020. The Hogs have never lost to the Sugar Bears and last met in 2024, an 87-70 victory for Arkansas. Arkansas owns a 6-0 advantage in the all-time series.
LAST TIME OUT
Arkansas improved to 2-0 after a 101-49 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Friday, Nov. 7. 13,032 fans and elementary students saw the win, the second-largest crowd in program history. The Hogs never trailed and led by as many as 52 points. Junior Jenna Lawrence led all scorers with a career-high 26 points and 5 three pointers. Freshman Bonnie Deas picked up her first collegiate double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. She also led the team with six assists. The Razorbacks’ 15 three pointers were the most in a game since the 2021-22 season, when they had 15 at Alabama on Jan. 20, 2022
QUICK HITS
Arkansas enters its third game of the Kelsi Musick era. Central Arkansas opened the season with a 78-71 defeat at Missouri and won its first game on Friday, against Lyon College, 115-43. The Sugar Bears were picked to finish second in the ASUN preseason poll. Freshman Bonnie Deas leads the Hogs with 18.5 points per game, which is tied for seventh nationally among freshmen through two games. Next up: The Razorbacks will host Southeastern Louisiana on Thursday before traveling to Texas Tech on Sunday for their first road game of the season.
ON THE SUGAR BEARS
The Sugar Bears (1-1) opened their home schedule on Friday, defeating Lyon College 115-43 at the Farris Center. The home team won the day with defensive pressure, forcing 36 turnovers and racking up 27 steals, the third-most in a single game in program history, as well as the first 20-steal game by the Sugar Bears since 2021-22. It was a total team effort on Friday, with 12 Sugar Bears scoring the ball, led by Cheyanne Kemp’s career-high 22 points. She was one of five players to score in double-figures, and the Sugar Bears made 15 three-pointers on 42 percent shooting. Central Arkansas enters its third season under head coach Tony Kemper. Kemper has led UCA to two straight 20+ win seasons and a pair of top 3 finishes in the Atlantic Sun Conference in his first two seasons in Conway.
VS. IN-STATE FOES
All-time, Arkansas is 30-12 against in-state opponents. Against DI in-state opponents, the Hogs are 27-4 and have only lost once since 2005, against UAPB in Fayetteville in 2023. This season, Arkansas will play all four DI in-state opponents: 11/7 vs. UAPB (W, 101-49), 11/10 vs. Central Arkansas, 11/20 vs. Little Rock and 12/28 vs. Arkansas State, the Hogs’ final non-conference matchup.
A FEW FIRSTS
Kelsi Musick is Arkansas women’s basketball’s first female head coach since Susie Garnder led the Razorbacks from 2003-2007. Hometown firsts: Danika Galea is the first Maltin player in Razorback history. Aisha Hassan is the first Egyptian player in Razorback history. Ashlynn Chlarson is the first Arizonan in Razorback history.
50 SEASONS
Arkansas women’s basketball will celebrate its 50th season in 2025-26. The program was founded in 1976 and has accumulated 884 wins since its first game against North Arkansas CC on Nov. 19, 1976. The Razorbacks’ first win came on Dec. 1, 1976 against John Brown, 92-87.
THE NEWCOMERS
The Razorbacks added eight newcomers to the 2025-26 roster: 5 transfers and 3 freshmen. Maria Anais Rodriguez joined Arkansas from Oklahoma State, where she saw action in 10 games during her first season, including three Big 12 games against Colorado, UCF and Arizona. On the FIBA side, she helped Spain to a 6-1 mark and the Silver Medal at the FIBA U18 Women’s Eurobasket competition in 2024 and averaged 8.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists during the event.
Taleyah Jones followed Coach Musick to Arkansas after playing for her during her sophomore and junior seasons. Jones was the Summit League Newcomer of the Year in 2024 and a First Team All-Summit League selection in 2025. Last season, she led ORU’s offense that ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring average (83.2) with 18.1 points per game.
Wyvette Mayberry signed with Arkansas on April 3, 2025, the first signee of the Musick era. Mayberry started her career at Tulsa before transferring to Kansas after two seasons. At Tulsa, she was named to the AAC All-Freshman team and led the Golden Hurricane in scoring her sophomore season with 14.1 points per game. At Kansas, she started in 31 games her junior season and recorded four 20+ point games. She started in all 32 games during her senior year and averaged 9.7 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. She injured her knee during her fifth year and came to Arkansas to finish her career.
Ashlynn Chlarson is the only JUCO product on this year’s team and joined Arkansas from Eastern Arizona CC in Thatcher, Arizona. In her two seasons with the Monsters, she averaged 8.4 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per game. Last season, she nearly averaged a double-double, with 10.9 points/game and 9.2 rebounds/game. She earned first team all-conference, second team all-region and NJCAA All-Tournament Team honors in 2025.
Emily Robinson also made the move from Oral Roberts after a successful start to her career. She was named the 2024 Summit League Freshman of the Year after averaging 10.3 points/game, 3.7 rebounds/game and 2.5 assists/game. She was the only freshman in the league to average double figures. She started in all 33 games her sophomore season and averaged 10.0 points/game and led ORU with 3.4 assists/game. She scored 17 points in the Summit League Tournament championship game against No. 24 South Dakota State.
Harmonie Ware, Aisha Hassan and Bonnie Deas were part of the 2025 signing class that Coach Musick managed to keep following her hiring in March.
THE FIBA FOUR
Four Razorbacks represent their countries at this summer’s FIBA events. Bonnie Deas (Australia) led her country to a silver medal in the FIBA U-19 Women’s World Cup. Deas averaged 12.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3 assists in 6 games at the World Cup and earned All-Star Five team honors alongside USA’s Saniyah Hall, the No. 1 prospect in the 2026 class, and UCLA’s Sienna Betts. Deas was Australia’s leading scorer in the championship game with 13 points in an 88-76 loss to the United States. Cristina Sanchez Cerqueira represented Spain in the U-20 FIBA Women’s EuroBasket and won gold. Maria Anais Rodriguez also represented Spain at the U-19 FIBA Women’s EuroBasket and earned a bronze medal. Danika Galea played for Malta in the FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup and won a silver medal in the qualifier in Prishtina, Kosovo.
NEW STAFF
Joining Musick for her first season in Fayetteville are new assistant coaches Brad Johnson and Alex Furr. Johnson made the short trip from nearby Farmington, Arkansas, where he was the head coach of the highly successful Farmington High School girls program, the home of Jenna Lawrence. Overall, Johnson finished his high school coaching career with 419 wins, four state titles, eight conference titles and seven state finals appearances. Furr joins the staff from SMU, where she served as an assistant coach and director of player development for two seasons. Furr played at Fresno State from 2010-2014 and ranks in the all-time top 10 in 3-pointers made and career free throw percentage. Other new staff include Director of On-Court Development Greg Gilman and Video Coordinator Carter Mumm. Assistants Lacey Goldwire and Nick Bradford and longtime Director of Operations Amber Shirey remain on staff.
For more information on Arkansas women’s basketball, follow @RazorbackWBB on social media.
NASHVILLE — Coach Chris Beard observed something he didn’t like at the Ole Miss basketball team breakfast on March 13.
“I saw a couple guys kind of yawning as they came into breakfast,” Beard said. “That’s not going to work.”
Beard said his team quickly set the tone that morning before No. 15 seed Ole Miss beat No. 2 Alabama 80-79 in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament in Bridgestone Arena.
Ole Miss will face No. 3 Arkansas (24-8) in the semifinals on March 14 (2:30 p.m., ESPN). The winner will be one game away from earning a bid into the NCAA Tournament.
Ole Miss is the second team in SEC Tournament history to win three straight games to reach semifinals. No. 13 Auburn did it in 2025.
The Rebels are the lowest seed to make the SEC semifinals, but this is just the second year since the tournament expanded from 14 to 16 teams after Texas and Oklahoma joined the conference.
Beard said he urges his players to be off their phones this time of year. It’s to keep players from focusing on a narrative he knows will be brought up for the rest of the tournament: Won’t Ole Miss be tired against Arkansas?
“Is Ole Miss going to be tired after playing 80 minutes? I just don’t believe in that,” Beard said.
Beard explained why.
“These players are not 29, 30, 31 years old,” Beard said. “They grew up playing in the summer, sometimes three games a day on the AAU circuit.
Beard also drew on his personal experience as a kid. He said fatigue won’t be something the Rebels use as an excuse.
“All of them, in their respective basketball journeys, played pickup basketball seven days a week for hours and hours and hours,” Beard said.
Ole Miss guard Ilias Kamardine was asked how the Rebels will combat fatigue on the TV broadcast after the Alabama game.
“There is no excuse,” Kamardine said. “That’s what we said before the (Alabama) game. Just keep fighting. We know we’re a little bit tired, but we want to keep going.”
How does Ole Miss basketball match up against Arkansas?
Stopping Arkansas guard Darius Acuff will be key for Beard and the Rebels.
Acuff scored 37 points against Oklahoma in the quarterfinals. His performances propelled the Razorbacks to an 82-79 win.
Arkansas beat Ole Miss 94-87 in the only regular season meeting on Jan. 7. Acuff was excellent in that game as well, scoring 26 points and adding nine assists.
Arkansas has an elite offense, but the Rebels have already knocked out two similar teams out of the tournament. The Razorbacks are No. 3 in the SEC in scoring (90.2 points). The Rebels beat the No. 1 scoring offense in Alabama (91.7) and the No. 3 offense in Georgia (89.8).
Ole Miss basketball vs. Arkansas prediction
Ole Miss 85, Arkansas 83: The Rebels have found a great groove in Nashville. Unlike Arkansas, Ole Miss is playing for its NCAA Tournament hopes.
Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@gannett.com or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — As Arkansas Republicans head toward a high-stakes runoff for Secretary of State, candidate Bryan Norris is making a clear case to voters: he is not a politician — and he says that is exactly why he should win.
The retired First Sergeant is positioning himself as the outsider in the March 31 Republican runoff against longtime state lawmaker Sen. Kim Hammer, arguing Arkansans are frustrated with what he calls “politics as usual” and ready for a different kind of leadership.
“I’m tired of feeling like I’m being ruled, not represented,” Norris said.
That frustration has become a central theme of his campaign.
Norris says voters are weary of elected officials moving from one office to the next, without delivering meaningful results.
“They rotate from one office to the next to the next,” Norris said. “I think the people of Arkansas are ready to see some results instead of seeing rotations.”
Norris repeatedly framed himself as a military veteran — not a career politician — and made election security the heart of his campaign message.
He says restoring public trust in Arkansas elections starts with transparency.
“The number one thing that we can do to bring back confidence is to be transparent,” Norris said.
Norris says that lack of visibility is fueling voter mistrust, and if elected, he wants to pursue expanded oversight — including what he describes as a first-of-its-kind audit.
“I want to perform the first ever 100% audit of an election in a primary and a general and release those results to the people of Arkansas,” he said.
But Norris says his concerns go beyond ballots and ballot boxes.
He also warned Arkansas should be more aggressive when it comes to cybersecurity, particularly as artificial intelligence advances and foreign threats grow more sophisticated.
“No one’s leaning forward in the foxhole of AI, and I’m extremely concerned about that,” Norris said.“One person with a laptop can have a huge impact.”
When asked whether the cost of stronger protections could ultimately fall on taxpayers, Norris argued the greater risk is failing to act.
“What’s the cost if they hack into our entire infrastructure and just degrade it and turn it off?”he asked. “What’s the cost if they hack into an election? What’s the cost if they hack into the treasury?”
Still, Norris insists his campaign is about more than election systems.
He says after traveling what he estimates to be more than 40,000 miles across Arkansas, he has heard a familiar set of concerns from voters — and says affordability is at the top of the list.
“Number one is the affordability,” Norris said.“They feel like things are getting really tough on them.”
And beneath those economic worries, he says, is a deeper frustration he believes many Arkansans share.
“They’re tired of feeling like they’re being ruled and not represented,” he said.
On the business side of the Secretary of State’s office, Norris says he would begin by cutting regulations and reevaluating internal processes from day one.
“First day is my office doors coming off the hinges,” Norris said. “I want to do a DOGE-style audit of it. If it’s not codified in law, it’s going to go away.”
The interview also touched on controversy surrounding now-deleted social media posts in which Norris used profanity.
When asked about the language, Norris acknowledged the posts and said he regrets them.
“I’m a soldier. I’m a military guy. We use some salty language from time to time,” Norris said.“I’m a work in progress. I’m a human being that makes mistakes from time to time. You’re never going to hear me talk or speak that way again.”
As the runoff approaches, Norris says his message remains simple: accountability.
“I just want the opportunity to earn your vote from you,” he said. “After you elect me, I’m going to be held accountable to you.”
Norris will face Senator Kim Hammer in the March 31st Republican runoff for Arkansas Secretary of State. You can watch both full candidate interviews on KATV’s YouTube page.
Arkansas
What channel is Mississippi State baseball vs Arkansas on today? Time, TV schedule to watch game
Mississippi State baseball opens SEC play with a trip to Arkansas for a three-game series, starting on March 13 in Fayetteville.
The Bulldogs (15-2) swept Lipscomb last weekend before beating Tulane on March 10 in Biloxi.
Arkansas (12-5) stumbled last weekend with a home series loss to Stetson.
Here’s how you can watch Mississippi State baseball vs Arkansas:
Mississippi State baseball vs. Arkansas on March 13 will be televised via streaming on SEC Network+, which is housed on the ESPN app and can be accessed via a SEC Network subscription. If you are subscribed to SEC Network, you can access SEC Network+ online.
- Game 1 start time: 6 p.m on March 13, SEC Network+
- Game 2 start time: 1 p.m. on March 14, SEC Network
- Game 3 start time: 2 p.m on March 15, SEC Network
- Feb. 13: Hofstra, W 6-5
- Feb. 14: Hofstra, W 6-1
- Feb. 14: Hofstra, W 7-5
- Feb. 17: Troy, W 13-7
- Feb. 18: Alcorn State, W 19-0 (7 innings)
- Feb. 20: Delaware, W 9-2
- Feb. 21: Delaware, W 10-0 (8 innings)
- Feb. 22: Delaware, W 7-3
- Feb. 24: Austin Peay, W 16-3 (7 innings)
- Feb. 27: vs. Arizona State in Arlington, Texas, W 8-4
- Feb. 28: vs. Virginia Tech in Arlington, Texas, W 15-8
- March 1: vs. UCLA in Arlington, Texas, L 8-7 (10 innings)
- March 3: at Southern Miss, L 7-6
- March 5: Lipscomb, W 8-3
- March 6: Lipscomb, W 9-4
- March 7: Lipscomb, W 26-0 (7 innings)
- March 10: vs. Tulane in Biloxi, W 11-7
- March 13: at Arkansas, 6 p.m on SEC Network+
- March 14: at Arkansas, 1 p.m. on SEC Network
- March 15: at Arkansas, 2 p.m on SEC Network
- March 17: Jackson State
- March 20-22: Vanderbilt
- March 24: Southern Miss
- March 27-29: at Ole Miss
- March 31: Grambling
- April 2-4: Georgia
- April 7: UAB
- April 10-12: Tennessee
- April 14: at Samford
- April 17-19: at South Carolina
- April 21: Memphis
- April 24-26: LSU
- April 28: vs. Ole Miss in Pearl, Miss.
- May 1-3: at Texas
- May 5: Nicholls
- May 7-9: Auburn
- May 14-16: at Texas A&M
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