Arkansas Tips Off Second Half Of SEC Play
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. –The University of Arkansas women’s basketball team returns home for back-to-back games, beginning with Georgia on Thursday night at 7 p.m. in Bud Walton Arena. It also marks the start of the second half of league play in the Southeastern Conference.
The Razorbacks (13-8, 2-6 SEC) are paced by Jessica Jackson who scored in double figures for the 16th time this season at LSU in Arkansas’ most recent contest. She continues to lead the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 14.6 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game.
Malica Monk ranks second on the team in scoring, averaging 9.7 points per game, and leads the team in scoring in SEC play, averaging 8.9 points per game. Defensively, Arkansas ranks third in the SEC in scoring defense (57.4 points per game) and fourth in the SEC in field-goal percentage defense (37.3 percent).
Georgia (10-11, 2-6 SEC) won two of its first three SEC games, before losing its last five contests entering Thursday’s matchup with Arkansas. The Bulldogs are coming off a 69-62 loss to Ole Miss this past Sunday in Oxford.
The Opponent
Arkansas hosts Georgia for the first time since the 2014-15 season, when the Razorbacks won 54-48, which was also their last win in the series between the two teams.
The Bulldogs have lost five straight games since defeating Texas A&M and Vanderbilt in back-to-back home games in early January. They are 0-4 in SEC road games and 1-6 in road games overall this season.
Pachis Roberts leads three players scoring in double figures, averaging 14.1 points per game, followed by Caliya Robinson with 12.6 points per game and Mackenzie Engram with 11.8 rebounds per game. Roberts also averages 7.2 rebounds per game and Robinson averages 2.2 blocks per game.
Notable
• Arkansas is 28-14 in home games under head coach Jimmy Dykes. That mark includes a 9-4 record this season and a 11-9 record in conference home games.
• Arkansas has shot 45 percent or better in eight 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 16-0 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).
• Arkansas has had six different players score in double figures during the first half of games this season: Jessica Jackson (five times), Alecia Cooley (two times) Malica Monk (two times), Devin Cosper, Jailyn Mason and Keiryn Swenson.
• Arkansas has won the rebounding battle in 15 of 21 games this season, going 12-3 in those games and improving to 35-10 when winning the rebounding battle under head coach Jimmy Dykes.
Quotable – From Coach Jimmy Dykes
“It’s a critical game for both teams, and it’s probably even more critical for us because we’re at home. We have two home games in a row now, and we’re trying to get to our third SEC win. Georgia comes in and they have lost five in a row. You should see two focused teams Thursday night playing in the toughest league in all of women’s college basketball. It’s all about to trying to get your third SEC win, and then you try to focus on getting your fourth one.”
Looking Ahead
Arkansas hosts No. 4 South Carolina on Sunday, before playing four of its final six regular season games on the road, traveling to Florida (Feb. 9), Missouri (Feb. 12), Tennessee (Feb. 19) and Vanderbilt (Feb. 23). Arkansas hosts No. 25 Kentucky on Feb. 16 and Auburn on Feb. 26 to close out the 2016-17 home schedule.
To order tickets for the 2016-17 season, 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.
