Lady'Backs cage Tiger at Walton remain undefeated
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Senior Lauren Ervin had a career high 23 points on Wednesday night in a 72-49 University of Arkansas Lady Razorback victory over Jackson State at Bud Walton Arena.
The win improves the Lady Razorbacks to 2-0 on the year and perfect at home. Jackson State falls to 0-1.
“We’re happy to be 2-0 and were focused early and did a good job of getting the ball down low,” Arkansas head coach Tom Collen said. “We got the win but didn’t play the way I would have liked.”
Along with her 23 points, Ervin grabbed a game-high eight rebounds. She was one of three Lady Razorbacks to score in double-digits on the day which started well on the floor and rarely waned. Ervin was joined by Sarah Pfeifer and Charity Ford who each contributed 11 points.
“We got off to a hot start,” Ervin said. “Our defense had a height advantage, so we used that. The scouting report for Jackson State was right on and we were prepared for the game.”
The Lady Razorbacks came out hot with a 6-0 run. Following a Jackson State bucket, Arkansas would rattle off another seven points to take an 11-point, 13-2 lead. The early lead allowed Arkansas to make frequent substitutions and the quick rotation of players didn’t faze the Lady Razorback attack.
The Lady Tigers make a small comeback near the end of the period, cutting the Arkansas lead to seven, but the Lady Razorbacks quickly responded with a 10-0 run over four minutes. The half would end with the Lady Razorbacks leading 44-26.
Both teams struggled from the floor to open the second half, but the Lady Razorbacks would manage to get a few buckets to increase their lead. Defensively, the Lady Razorbacks were stout, holding Jackson State without a bucket through the first four minutes. The Lady Tigers would manage one two points through 11 minutes giving Arkansas a 27-point edge late.
“Our defense was better in first 10 min of second than it was in the first,” Collen continued. “We talked about our defense at the half and came out a little more focused. I think that we lost our focus a little bit later in the half because we had a big lead we lost that focus a little bit.”
The Lady Razorbacks cruised through the final nine minutes of the contest, increasing their lead to as many as 30. Arkansas’ 72 points nearly matched the total from its season opening victory on Sunday afternoon
The Lady Razorbacks are back in action on Saturday evening when they host Austin Peay at Bud Walton Arena beginning at 7:00 p.m. For more information about Lady Razorback basketball or about Arkansas women’s athletics, please go to www.ladybacks.com.
