Arkansas

Preview – Arkansas Plays No. 1/1 South Carolina for Last Regular Season Home Game

Published

3 months ago

February 28, 2024

Preview – Arkansas Plays No. 1/1 South Carolina for Last Regular Season Home Game

kylie magar
February 28, 2024

FAYETTEVILLE – The Arkansas women’s basketball team (18-11, 6-8 SEC) will host No. 1/1 South Carolina (27-0, 14-0 SEC) on Thursday at 8 p.m. The Leap Day game will be broadcast on SEC Network at Bud Walton Arena and will serve as the Hogs’ final regular season home game.

GAME INFORMATION

Date: Thursday, Feb. 29
Time: 8 p.m.
Opponent: No. 1/1 South Carolina
Location: Bud Walton Arena (Fayetteville, Ark.)
Promotions: Student Point Game and Razorback dance team performance
Tickets: HERE
Watch: SECN
Listen: Razorback Sports Network from Learfield
Arkansas Game Notes
South Carolina Game Notes
Live Stats

STORYLINES

The Arkansas women’s basketball team will welcome the No. 1 team in the country in South Carolina on Thursday night
Arkansas is looking to get win No. 19, seventh in SEC
The Gamecocks come into Bud Walton Arena with an unblemished 27-0 record, 14-0 in SEC
Arkansas has never defeated a No. 1 team in the country. The program is 0-21 against teams who are ranked No. 1 in the country at the time of facing the Razorbacks
Arkansas’ highest ranked win in program history was against LSU in 2003, which resulted in an 82-72 win for the Hogs at home
Thursday’s game will mark the last ever regular season game for Makayla Daniels at Bud Walton Arena. She has played 75 games at BWA during her career
Taliah Scott leads the Hogs in scoring with 22.1 points per game, and is the only player in the SEC to average 20.0+ points per game
Saylor Poffenbarger is one of the top defensive rebounders in the country. She leads the SEC in defensive rebounds/game (9.9) and is second in rebounds/game (11.8), which are second and fifth in the NCAA. She holds the single-season defensive rebound record with 276 this season. Her 53 3-pointers leads the team
Samara Spencer leads the team with 104 assists. Her 354 career assists is No. 11 on the career list and her 1,322 points is No. 18 on the all-time scoring list
Maryam Dauda has made a big jump this season, pacing the team with 68 blocks, which is third in the league (2.3 per game), and her 2.8 blocks per game in SEC contests paces the league. She is No. 4 on the individual season block list at Arkansas
Makayla Daniels is an elite defender and leads the team with 48 steals. She is the highest scoring point guard in school history with 1,811 points, making her a top five scorer in school history, while holding a program’s most starts and games played records with 151, as well as career minutes (4,447). Daniels was selected on the All-SEC Preseason Second Team, as chosen by the league’s coaches
The Hogs lead the league in 3-pointers per game (91), which is 12th in the NCAA, 3-point attempts per game (29.7), a number that is fourth in the country, as well as turnovers per game (12.7), 21st in the country

SCOUTING SOUTH CAROLINA

SC is 27-0 and 14-0 in the SEC heading into Thursday
In the SEC Preseason Polls, SC was chosen to finish second by both the media and coaches
Kamilla Cardoso was tabbed to the All-SEC Preseason First Team by the media and coaches. Last season, she was named the SEC Sixth Woman of the Year, having averaged 9.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game with 70 blocks in just 18 minutes per game
Oregon transfer Te-Hina Paopao was chosen to the SEC Preseason Second Team. She was named to the All-Pac 12 Honorable Mention last season and a two-time All-Pac12 First Team recipient. Last season, she averaged 13.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game for the Ducks
SC is one of the deepest teams in the NCAA this season with nine players averaging 5.0+ points per game and seven with 8.0+ points per game
Cardoso paces the team with 14.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game
Raven Johnson has a team’s most 128 assists and 56 steals
Ashlyn Watkins has swatted a team’s most 70 shots
Paopao has a team’s most 64 made 3-pointers for an impressive 48.9 percentage from beyond the arc. She also averages 11.5 points per game
MiLaysia Fulwiley and Bree Hall also average double digits in scoring with 11.3 and 10.1 points per game, a piece
SC leads the leagues in scoring defense (54.07), scoring margin (+32.89), field goal percentage (.505), field goal percentage defense (.311), 3-point field goal percentage (.405), 3-point field goal percentage defense (.265), blocked shots (8.52), assists (19.07), assist/turnover ratio (1.44) and defensive rebounds/game (32.59)
Dawn Staley is in her 16th season at the helm, where she has helped South Carolina battle for SEC and national championships each season. She has led the Gamecocks to two National Championships (2017 and 2022), five NCAA Final Fours in the last eight tournaments, ranking in the AP top 25 every week since Dec. 10, 2012, six 30-win season with a program-record 36 in 2022-23, among other accomplishments

HISTORY AGAINST THE GAMECOCKS

Arkansas trails South Carolina in the all-time series, 26-18
The Hogs and Gamecocks will meet for the 45th time of the all-time series on Thursday
In games played in Fayetteville, Arkansas has a 10-9 advantage
Head coach Mike Neighbors is 1-10 against SC
SC has an eight-game winning streak against Arkansas. The last time Arkansas defeated the Gamecocks was in a 95-89 upset at the SEC Tournament in 2019. Arkansas hasn’t beaten SC in a regular season game since 2012 (W, 68-47 in Fayetteville), marking a 14-game regular season losing skid
Arkansas faced off against SC twice last season, while having to draw the Gamecocks in the SEC Tournament four times in the past five years. In the first meeting in Columbia, Arkansas fell, 92-46. Spencer led the Hogs with 15 points. In the second meeting in the SEC Tournament, SC won 93-66. Poffenbarger went off for 22 points and four assists, Spencer had 16 points and Daniels registered 12 points

LAST TIME OUT

Arkansas fell to Vanderbilt, 62-53, as Arkansas scored a season low point total
Spencer led the game with 19 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals
Carly Keats delivered 13 points off the bench, while adding one rebound and one steal
Karley Johnson logged seven points, three rebounds and one steal
Poffenbarger finished with four points, including a 3/4 court shot and 12 rebounds, breaking the single-season defensive rebound record Sunday
Daniels was honored for her Senior Day, Pack for Mak

UPCOMING

Arkansas will head to Oxford, Mississippi to face Ole Miss on Sunday, March 3 for a 3 p.m. tipoff at SJB Pavilion. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about Arkansas Women’s Basketball, follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @RazorbackWBB and on Facebook at Facebook.com/RazorbackWBB. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel, “Kickin’ It In The Neighborhood” for an inside look at the Razorback women’s basketball program and check out The Neighborhood podcasts at CoachNeighbors.com.

Source link

Related Topics:Featured headlines women s basketball

Click to comment

Arkansas

Arkansas to play Alabama or South Carolina at SEC Tournament | Whole Hog Sports

Published

4 hours ago

May 19, 2024

Press Room

Arkansas to play Alabama or South Carolina at SEC Tournament | Whole Hog Sports

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The Arkansas baseball team will play either Alabama or South Carolina first at the SEC Tournament next week in Hoover, Ala.

The Razorbacks (43-12) are the No. 2 seed at the tournament by virtue of winning the SEC West. They will play the second quarterfinal game Wednesday at approximately 1 p.m.

The Crimson Tide and the Gamecocks will play a single-elimination game Tuesday at approximately 1 p.m.

Alabama (33-21) is the No. 7 seed after tiebreakers with four other teams that finished with an SEC record of 13-17. South Carolina (33-21) was also included in the tiebreaker and is the No. 10 seed.

The Crimson Tide were the highest seeded of the five teams that were tied in the standings. That was because Alabama was the only team to win a series against the highest-seeded common opponent, top-seeded Tennessee.

South Carolina earned the No. 10 seed over LSU due to results against Arkansas. The Gamecocks went 1-2 against the Razorbacks on April 19-20, while Arkansas swept LSU in March.

The Razorbacks defeated South Carolina 2-1 in the series opener in Columbia, S.C. The Gamecocks won 6-3 in the first game of an April 20 doubleheader and Arkansas won the finale 9-6.

Alabama lost 5-3 to the Razorbacks in the series opener. The Crimson Tide won the final two games of the series by scores of 4-3 in 10 innings and 5-0. That series was played in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on April 12-14.

The Arkansas-Alabama-South Carolina grouping will be paired against a grouping of Kentucky-Georgia-LSU in the quarterfinal round.

The Razorbacks will play at least two games in Hoover. The quarterfinals are a double-elimination round that are scheduled Wednesday through Friday.

The semifinal and final rounds revert to a single-elimination format.

SEC Tournament Schedule

Tuesday (First Round)

Game 1: No. 6 Georgia vs. No. 11 LSU

Game 2: No. 7 Alabama vs. No. 10 South Carolina

Game 3: No. 8 Vanderbilt vs. No. 9 Florida

Game 4: No. 5 Mississippi State vs. No. 12 Ole Miss

Wednesday (Quarterfinals)

Game 5: No. 3 Kentucky vs. Game 1 Winner

Game 6: No. 2 Arkansas vs. Game 2 Winner

Game 7: No. 1 Tennessee vs. Game 3 Winner

Game 8: No. 4 Texas A&M vs. Game 4 Winner

Thursday (Quarterfinals)

Game 9: Game 5 Loser vs. Game 6 Loser

Game 10: Game 7 Loser vs. Game 8 Loser

Game 11: Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner

Game 12: Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner

Friday (Quarterfinals)

Game 13: Game 9 Winner vs. Game 11 Loser

Game 14: Game 10 Winner vs. Game 12 Loser

Saturday (Semifinals)

Game 15: Game 13 Winner vs. Game 11 Winner

Game 16: Game 14 Winner vs. Game 12 Winner

Sunday (Championship)

Game 17: Game 15 Winner vs. Game 16 Winner

Source link

Arkansas

Arkansas baseball closes regular season with series loss to Texas A&M

Published

11 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Press Room

Arkansas baseball closes regular season with series loss to Texas A&M

It was a roller-coaster weekend for Arkansas baseball as a win that clinched the SEC West title was sandwiched between one tight and one blowout defeat against Texas A&M.

The No. 2 Razorbacks (43-12, 20-10 SEC) dropped two-of-three games against the No. 4 Aggies (44-11, 19-11) to close the regular season. Arkansas had a chance to win the series entering Saturday’s rubber match, but Texas A&M handed the Hogs their first run-rule defeat of the season, instead.

All eyes now shift toward the postseason, with Arkansas opening its SEC Tournament Wednesday night as the No. 2 seed. The Hogs will receive a first-round bye thanks to their top-four finish in the league.

Here are four observations from the Razorbacks’ series loss to Texas A&M.

Mission accomplished for Arkansas baseball

The 14-4 loss Saturday will sting, and Arkansas will be disappointed to have wasted a record-breaking start from Hagen Smith in the opener, but the only objective this weekend was to win the SEC West. The Hogs did just that with a 6-3 win Friday night.

More: Arkansas baseball clinches SEC West title with win over Texas A&M

More: Arkansas baseball bracketology: Where Hogs stand in 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket projections

“There are a lot of teams who haven’t been able to do that and we’ve done it five of the last six years,” Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said. “Came in second the year we didn’t do it. Just kind of let it go that last weekend a couple, three years ago, and it feels good.”

Gage Wood makes case to remain in weekend rotation

Changing the weekend rotation for the final conference series of the season — on the road against a consensus top-five team in the country — turned out to be a well-worked gamble from Van Horn.

Wood made the first SEC start of his career Friday and limited the Aggies to two earned runs across five innings. He struck out five and didn’t walk a single batter after Van Horn removed Brady Tygart and Mason Molina for losing their control in back-to-back starts building up to this weekend.

Tygart didn’t pitch against Texas A&M, but Molina did, thrusted into the Friday night fire of a 3-3 tie with a runner on first and no outs in the bottom of the seventh. Molina got out of the jam and recorded the final nine outs of the win. He could jump back into the weekend rotation as soon as the SEC Tournament.

Hudson White continues late-season surge

White won the division for Arkansas in game two, crushing a hanging slider and giving Arkansas its first lead of the weekend with a three-run homer to left in the top of the eighth. He hit another home run Saturday and finished the weekend 4-for-10 with four RBIs and three runs.

Two weeks ago, White could sense his season changing with Arkansas on the road against Kentucky. He entered that series hitting just .243, but he’s gone 14-for-32 since then with four home runs and 13 RBIs. The Texas Tech transfer is now hitting NUMBER.

“It’s been awesome,” White said Friday night. “Just been trying to stick to my plan and stick to my routine. Just trying to help the team keep stacking up wins.”

There might also be another bat getting hot at the right time. Wehiwa Aloy hit a pair of home runs this weekend to up his team-high on the season to 13.

What does Arkansas do with Will McEntire and Kendall Diggs?

It was not a fun weekend for McEntire. He faced one batter out of the bullpen Thursday night and walked in the game-winning run. He then got his first start of the season Saturday and gave up a pair of two-run homers with the Aggies striking for four runs in 1 1/3 innings.

McEntire has now given up 17 earned runs in his last 11 appearances. With a 10.60 ERA during that stretch, McEntire’s season mark has dropped from 1.75 to 4.29.

Diggs, meanwhile, went 0-for-7 at the plate and simply can’t get out of this slump that’s now stretched across two months

How much longer are the leashes for both players? There is no obvious replacement for Diggs in right field, but it’s going to be hard for Van Horn to trust McEntire in the postseason with his current form.

Source link

Arkansas

Arkansas will need help from freshmen ends Charlie Collins and Kavion Henderson

Published

18 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Press Room

Arkansas will need help from freshmen ends Charlie Collins and Kavion Henderson

To have a quality three-deep on the defensive line, the Razorbacks will need help from freshmen four-star ends Charlie Collins and Kavion Henderson. Both are currently going through the eight-week summer training cycle to add more strength heading into their first collegiate season.

Source link