Arkansas Faces Florida To Open SEC Tournament
Bracket
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas women’s basketball team enters the SEC Tournament and faces Florida in game two of the first round on Wednesday in Greenville, South Carolina. The winner will face No. 6 seed Texas A&M in the second round Thursday. The game tips at approximately 12:30 p.m. on the SEC Network.
Arkansas (13-16, 2-14 SEC) is coming off Senior Day against Auburn this past Sunday in Bud Walton Arena. Florida (14-15, 5-11 SEC) defeated Georgia, 65-58, in its regular-finale Sunday in Gainesville.
The Razorbacks came up with a season-high 16 steals and forced 25 turnovers, the most in an SEC game this season, in the only regular season meeting with the Gators in Gainesville earlier this year.
Jessica Jackson leads Arkansas in scoring and rebounding and ranks 14th in the SEC averaging 14.9 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game. Jackson finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds against Auburn for her 23rd game in double figures and her fourth double-double of the season.
Malica Monk ranks second on the team in scoring, while leading the team and ranking third in the SEC in steals, averaging 9.2 points per game and 2.3 steals per game. She had two games with a career-high six steals in the final six games of the regular season, including six steals in the first meeting against Florida.
The Opponent
Arkansas faces Florida for the second time this season and the sixth time in SEC Tournament history. Florida is Arkansas’ second-most common SEC Tournament opponent.
Florida ranks fourth in the SEC in scoring offense (71.4 points per game) and 13th in the SEC in scoring defense (68.3 points per game). In addition to leading the SEC in scoring, Ronni Williams ranks first in the SEC in field goals made (218), fifth in field goals attempted (404), fourth in free throws made (118) and second in free throws attempted (159).
Williams shoots 54.0 percent and averages 19.1 points per game to lead the SEC. She is joined in double figures by Haley Lorenzen (12.1 points per game) and Delicia Washington (11.2 points per game).
Notable
• Arkansas ranks fourth in the SEC in scoring defense (60.1 points per game) and field-goal percentage defense (38.0 percent).
• Jessica Jackson tallied her 100th career game in double figures and her 18th career doubled-double against Auburn in the regular-season finale.
• Alecia Cooley finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds against Auburn in the regular-season finale, for her 10th game in double figures and second double-double this season.
• Jessica Jackson has scored in double figures in six straight games, a streak that started with a game-high 17 points at Florida on Feb. 9.
• Malica Monk ranks third in the SEC in steals (2.3 per game). She had a career-high six steals against Florida and matched that career high with six steals against Kentucky.
• Arkansas has shot 45 percent or better in nine games this season. Arkansas shot 45 percent or better twice all of last season (30 games) and six times all of 2014-15 (32 games). Arkansas is now 16-1 when shooting 45 percent or better under head coach Jimmy Dykes.
• Arkansas has held opponents under 30 percent shooting in six games this season: Sam Houston State (26.9), Louisiana-Monroe (22.1), Tulsa (29.7), Northwestern State (25.0), Houston Baptist (24.1) and LSU (28.8).
Looking Ahead
If Arkansas wins and advances, the Razorbacks will face No. 6 Texas A&M in the second game of the evening session on Thursday night in Greenville.
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