No. 20 Arkansas Bounces Back, Beats Auburn in SEC Road Opener, 86-70

Mario Bravante January 5, 2020

AUBURN, Ala. – No. 20 Arkansas (13-2, 1-1) got back into the win column on Sunday afternoon, beating Auburn (6-7, 0-2), 86-70, in its SEC Road Opener. The Hogs were again deadly from beyond the arc, nailing 12 triples for the second straight game to open SEC play. However, the Razorbacks also held the advantage on the boards against Auburn, outrebounding the Tigers 36-35. The Hogs are 8-0 this season when they outrebound their opponent. Defensively, the Hogs held Auburn’s star forward Unique Thompson to just six points, snapping her 13-game double-double streak.

Redshirt junior guard Amber Ramirez delivered her best game as a Razorback against Auburn, going for 25 points to lead all scorers. Ramirez lit it up from beyond the arc, making seven of her 14 long balls, tying her season-high in triples made. Redshirt junior guard Chelsea Dungee nearly joined Ramirez in the 20s, scoring 19 points on an efficient 6-10 clip.

TURNING POINT

Head Coach Mike Neighbors’ Razorbacks got off to a slow start in Auburn Arena, falling behind 9-2 in the first period. However, the Hogs went on one of their patented runs to take this one over, generating a monster 21-2 spurt in just under five minutes of clock time.

Ramirez was simply dominant in the quarter, outscoring Auburn by herself in the period, as she went for 14 points to the Tigers’ 12. The redshirt junior sharpshooter scored 11 of those points straight during the spurt, nailing back-to-back-to-back triples after hitting a shot from the midrange.

HOG HIGHLIGHTS

Ramirez’s seven triples matched her own mark for the most by a Razorback this season. She also had seven against Northwestern State.
Redshirt junior guard A’Tyanna Gaulden ran the show effectively again on Sunday, dishing a team-high five assists.
Freshman guard Makayla Daniels stuffed the stat sheet against Auburn, going for 13 points, four assists, two rebounds and a steal.
Senior guard Alexis Tolefree nearly registered her first-career double-double, going for 11 points and eight rebounds. Those eight boards matched her career high and led the team against Auburn.

NEXT TIME OUT

The Razorbacks will stay out on the road, as the Hogs will head to Columbia, S.C. for a showdown with No. 4 South Carolina. That game is set to tipoff at 6 p.m. CT, and will be streamable on SECN+.

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