Preview – Arkansas hosts Alabama

kylie magar January 25, 2023

FAYETTEVILLE – The No. 24 Arkansas women’s basketball team (17-5, 4-3 SEC) has a big matchup on Thursday night, as Alabama (15-5, 4-3 SEC) comes to town. Both teams are in a three-way tie for fifth in the SEC standings, while Arkansas is also looking to bounce back off two straight losses against top three teams on the road. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. at Bud Walton Arena and will be Arkansas’ We Back Pat game. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network.

GAME INFORMATION

Date: Thursday, Jan. 26
Time: 6 p.m.
Opponent: Alabama
Location: Bud Walton Arena
Watch: SECN
Listen: Razorback Sports Network from Learfield
Promotions: We Back Pat, season ticket holder bring-a-friend and healthcare and first responder appreciation
Tickets: Buy HERE
Arkansas Game Notes
Live Stats

STORYLINES

The Razorbacks are 17-5, coming off back-to-back losses after starting league play 4-1, which marked its best start in SEC play since 2005-06
Arkansas has been ranked in the WBCA/USA Today Coaches Poll for seven of the last eight weeks, coming in at No. 24 this past week. The Razorbacks received two votes in the AP Poll, being ranked in that poll for four straight weeks this season (#21, #21, #17 and #24 in AP)
The team is looking to bounce back in a major way, hosting two games at Bud Walton Arena, where the Razorbacks are 9-1 in this season. The most wins a Mike Neighbors’ team has accomplished at BWA is 14, which came in 2019-20
Although it’s early in the SEC slate, Thursday’s game will be big for the SEC standings, as the Crimson Tide, Razorbacks and Mississippi State Bulldogs are tied for fifth with 4-3 records in the league
The Arkansas vs. Alabama game features the No. 1 and No. 2 3-point shooting teams in the conference, as well as two squads who are tied for fifth in the league’s standings
With another win, Arkansas would start the SEC season 5-3, which would match the eight-game league play start the Razorbacks achieved in 2019-20 and 2018-19 under head coach Mike Neighbors
Arkansas has five straight wins over the Crimson Tide, and the Razorbacks hope to make it six straight and nine out of the last 10
The program is looking for double-digit home wins for the 21st time at Bud Walton Arena
Coach Neighbors has led the program to another winning year in the regular season, as the Razorbacks have 17 wins. This marks the fifth regular season winning year for coach at Arkansas
With another win, Arkansas will match last season’s win total at 18
All five Arkansas starters are averaging near double digits. There are 11 teams in the country who have at least five players averaging double digits in scoring per game
Erynn Barnum leads the Razorbacks with 15.7 points per game and 25 total blocks. In her fourth year with the Arkansas program and with several games remaining in the season, she has surpassed season highs in every statistical category except one. She has 346 points and 148 total rebounds on the season
Saylor Poffenbarger paces the team in rebounding with 7.2 per game, 138 of her 159 rebounds coming on the defensive side
Samara Spencer is the second leading scorer with 15.3 points per game and leads the team in assists with 98, 4.5 per game. Her assist total has already surpassed the total she accumulated last season as a freshman
Makayla Daniels leads the team in steals with 31, while also averaging 13.0 points per game
Chrissy Carr puts up 11.3 points per game and leads the squad with 49 3-pointers
The team is first in the SEC in least turnovers per game with 13.27
Arkansas gets to the line 24.09 times per game, which is second in the conference and third in the country
In the SEC, Arkansas leads in 3-point attempts per game (26.9) and is No. 2 in 3-pointers per game (8.4)

SCOUTING ALABAMA

Alabama was picked to finish fourth in the SEC Preseason Coaches Poll, yet 10th in the Media Poll. The Tide tallied a 20-14 record, 6-10 in SEC, while going to the WNIT Quarterfinals before losing to South Dakota State, 78-73 last season
Brittany Davis was represented on the Preseason All-SEC First Team by the coaches and Second Team by the media
Coming into Thursday, Alabama is 15-5 and tied with Arkansas in fifth in the SEC standings at 4-3
Davis is picking up from where she left off last season, leading the team with 17.3 points per game and 6.6 rebounds per game, as well as 32 steals
Fifth-year Alabama staple Hannah Barber leads the team with 53 assists
Jada Rice has an impressive 50 blocks
Kristy Curry is one of the most established women’s coaches in the game, serving her 24th year as a head coach this season, 10th at Alabama. She is one of 10 coaches in women’s basketball history to have 100+ wins at three different schools

HISTORY AGAINST THE CRIMSON TIDE

Arkansas has the edge in the all-time series, 26-15, in a series that dates back to 1980
The Razorbacks won the first game of the series in 1980, 68-54 in Fayetteville
Arkansas is 13-6 against the Tide in Fayetteville
In Arkansas’ time in the SEC, the Razorbacks hold a 24-12 advantage
Arkansas cruised to a 99-71 win in Tuscaloosa last year. All five starters scored in double figures. Spencer and Daniels scored 18 points, five assists and two steals a piece. Jersey Wolfenbarger tallied 12 points and Sasha Goforth logged 11 points and three steals

LAST TIME OUT

Arkansas is looking to have short-term memory after the team’s 92-46 loss at No. 1/1 South Carolina, which tied for the largest loss in the Neighbors’ era at Arkansas
Spencer led the team with 15 points
Barnum tallied her 18th double digit scoring game this season with 11 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals
Arkansas limited turnovers to nine, but was limited to just 17 rebounds, which was a program SEC low for the Razorbacks. The Razorbacks, who were remarkably improved in rebounding prior to last week, was outrebounded 74-17 for a rebounding margin of 57. SC’s rebounding total marked a new SEC record

UPCOMING

Arkansas stays home to host Ole Miss on Sunday, Jan. 29. That game will tipoff at 4 p.m. at Bud Walton Arena and the game will be broadcast on SEC Network.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about Arkansas Women’s Basketball, follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @RazorbackWBB and on Facebook at Facebook.com/RazorbackWBB. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel, “Kickin’ It In The Neighborhood” for an inside look at the Razorback women’s basketball program and check out The Neighborhood podcasts at CoachNeighbors.com.