Razorbacks Down Lady Raiders In SEC/Big 12 Challenge
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A balanced scoring effort carried the University of Arkansas women’s basketball team to a 66-60 win over Texas Tech on Saturday afternoon in Bud Walton Arena. The Razorbacks improve to 8-0 on the season, their best start under head coach Jimmy Dykes, and also improve to 2-1 all-time in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
Jessica Jackson led the way with 14 points, her eighth time in double figures in as many games this season. Aaliyah Wilson added a career-high 11 points, while Malica Monk also had 11 points to join Jackson and Wilson in double figures. Jailyn Mason was one point and one rebound shy of her first career double-double.
The Razorbacks had 15 assists on 24 made field goals and committed just nine turnovers, while also outrebounding the Lady Raiders (4-3) by a 52-39 margin.
Arkansas returns to action against Butler on Wednesday night with a tip-off set for 7 p.m. in Bud Walton Arena.
Key Run
After Texas Tech pulled to within five, 31-26, with 2:54 left in the first half, Arkansas answered with a 7-0 run to end the half and take a 38-26 lead into halftime. Jailyn Mason capped the run with a jumper in the final seconds. Arkansas held Texas Tech without a made field goal for the final 3:47 of the second quarter.
Key Play
Jessica Jackson made a 3-pointer as time expired in the first quarter, her first made field goal of the game, lifting Arkansas to a 21-17 lead. It was the Razorbacks’ largest lead at the time, and they would carry that momentum into the second quarter, scoring eight of the first 10 points to extend their lead to 29-17 with 7:27 left in the first half.
Key Stat – 52 to 39
Arkansas entered the game ranked fourth in the SEC and 18th in the nation in rebounding margin, averaging 12.0 boards per game. In a game with similar shooting numbers and turnover numbers, Arkansas dominated on the boards, outrebounding Texas Tech 52-39. That margin included 20 offensive rebounds compared to just eight offensive rebounds for Texas Tech.
Notable
• Arkansas improves to 18-9 all-time against Texas Tech and has won all 11 games played in Fayetteville.
• Arkansas improves to 24-10 in home games under head coach Jimmy Dykes. That mark includes a 5-0 record this season and a 14-4 record in nonconference home games.
• Arkansas improves to 2-1 all-time in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge that began in the 2014-15 season, having previously defeated Oklahoma in 2014 (North Little Rock) and lost to Texas in 2015 (Oklahoma City).
• Arkansas has used the same starting five for each of the first eight games: Malica Monk, Jailyn Mason, Jessica Jackson, Bailey Zimmerman and Alecia Cooley.
• Jessica Jackson has scored in double figures in each of the first eight games this season, finishing with a team-high 14 points. She is averaging a team-leading 16.4 points per game.
• Malica Monk scored in double figures for the fifth time in eight games, and the first time since Nov. 25 against Memphis, finishing with 11 points.
• Aaliyah Wilson scored a career-high 11 points, her second career game in double figures.
• Jailyn Mason set a career high with nine rebounds, as she finished one point and one rebound shy of her first career double-double.
• Arkansas improves to 7-0 this season and 30-7 under head coach Jimmy Dykes when outrebounding its opponent.
• Jessica Jackson hit a 3-pointer at the first-quarter buzzer to lead 21-15, and Aaliyah Wilson then hit a 3-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer to lead 53-39.
• Arkansas is off to an 8-0 start for the first time under head coach Jimmy Dykes and the first time since the 2013-14 season, when the Razorbacks won each of its first 13 games, completing a 13-0 nonconference in the regular season.
Quotable – From Jimmy Dykes
“We beat a really good team tonight. If you can beat a good team and shoot 32 percent for the game like we did, you did a lot of good things other than shoot the basketball. We held them to 38 percent shooting. The game was probably decided on the glass. We outrebounded them, 52 to 39.”
Up Next
Arkansas hosts Butler on Wednesday with a tip-off set for 7 p.m. from Bud Walton Arena on SEC Network Plus. The Razorbacks then travel to Missouri State on Dec. 11, before concluding nonconference play with three straight home games against Northwestern State (Dec. 18), Oral Roberts (Dec. 21) and Houston Baptist (Dec. 28).
To order tickets for the 2016-17 season, click here or call the Razorback Ticket Center at 800-982-HOGS (4647) or 479-575-5151.
For more information on Arkansas women’s basketball, follow @RazorbackWBB on Twitter.
