Preview – Arkansas Hosts Central Arkansas for Home Opener, Elementary Day

kylie magar November 10, 2022

FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas women’s basketball is going into its home opener boasting a 1-0 record, as the team hosts Central Arkansas (0-1) on Friday at 10:30 a.m. The early start indicates that Elementary Day is back for the first time since 2019. Over 4,000 students from local elementary schools will pack the stands at Bud Walton Arena.

GAME INFORMATION
Date: Friday, Nov. 11
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Opponent: Central Arkansas
Location: Bud Walton Arena
Promotions: Elementary Day, Veterans Day recognition
Watch: SEC Network+
Listen: Razorback Sports Network from IMG
Tickets: Click HERE
Game Notes
Live Stats
Coach Neighbors Preview Presser

STORYLINES

Friday’s game will serve as Elementary Day. Over 4,000 kids are expected to attend Friday morning’s game (so bring your headphones if you aren’t a fan of screaming children and hearing Baby Shark played a million times). This marks the first time since 2019 Arkansas women’s basketball has been able to host the event
The contest will be the third consecutive year the teams go head-to-head. With a previous ban on Arkansas schools playing one another, all five Arkansas schools have been willing to play one another every year
Arkansas is 8-0 against other state schools since the ban lifted prior to the 2020-21 season
The program has won 38 consecutive home openers. The last time Arkansas lost a home opener was in 1983 to Louisiana Tech (75-52)
Arkansas opened the year on the road, marking the first true road contest to start the season since 2006
With Monday’s 70-50 win over Arkansas- Pine Bluff, the Razorbacks have achieved 11 straight season opener victories
Head coach Mike Neighbors is approaching big milestones in his coaching career, as he is at 97 career wins at Arkansas and 195 overall in his DI head coaching career. His win total is No. 1 among head coaches with 10 years of experience
With Neighbors in charge, the Hogs are coming off back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances (should be back-to-back-to-back had the COVID-19 pandemic have not cancelled the 2020 tournament) and four consecutive winning seasons
The long-awaited debuts of Maryam Dauda, Saylor Poffenbarger and Chrissy Carr took the stage in Pine Bluff on Monday night. Poffenbarger and Carr both got the start and reached double digits in scoring, with 11 and 10 points, respectively, while Dauda came off the bench to log four points
After one game, Erynn Barnum and Samara Spencer are the team’s leading scorers with 15.0 points per game. Barnum also paces the team in rebounds with 11 boards per game
The Razorbacks were projected to finish fourth in the SEC Preseason Media Poll and tied for fifth in the SEC Preseason Coaches Poll. Makayla Daniels represented Arkansas on the Preseason Second Team (Coaches poll)

SCOUTING UCA

UCA is 0-1 coming into Friday’s game after falling to a talented Kansas State team, 83-43
After one game, Kyjai Miles and Parris Atkins pace the Sugar Bears with 10.0 points per game. Miles has a team’s best 6.0 rebounds per game
UCA was picked to finish 12th in both the Atlantic Sun Conference Media and Coaches polls
Last season, the Sugar Bears finished the year 9-19 with a 4-12 ASUN mark
Randrea Wright is the leading returning scorer from last year’s team, having averaged 9.5 points per game along with tallying 85 assists in her freshman season
Head Coach Sandra Rushing is in her 34th season as a head basketball coach, coming into Friday’s game with a 579-383 overall record
In her 11th season in Conway, Rushing has compiled a 176-128 record and guided UCA to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments in 2016 and 2017. Those two teams compiled a 54-9 record

HISTORY AGAINST SUGAR BEARS

Arkansas is 3-0 in the all-time series
Prior to the ban being placed on Arkansas schools playing one another, the two teams played one another in the Razorbacks’ first season on Feb. 24, 1978, which resulted in a 65-59 win for Arkansas on the road
In last year’s game at a neutral site in Simmons Bank Arena, the Razorbacks cruised to an 82-44 victory. Jersey Wolfenbarger delivered a career-high 16 points and five boards and Spencer added 15 points and six assists. Rylee Langerman outhustled everyone once again with eight rebounds
The team had 11 3-pointers in the victory

LAST TIME OUT

Arkansas handled business in front of an electric, sold-out crowd at H.O. Clemmons Arena, as the Razorbacks defeated UAPB, 70-50
Four of Arkansas’ starters reached double digits in scoring
Barnum and Spencer paced the Hogs with 15 points each, while Barnum secured her third career double-double after also pulling down 11 rebounds
Poffenbarger logged 11 points and eight rebounds in her true, long-anticipated collegiate basketball debut, while Carr surpassed double digits with 10 points
Langerman and Daniels had six rebounds each, while Langerman and Barnum each matched their career highs in steals with four
Wolfenbarger was solid off the bench with seven points and seven rebounds
The Razorbacks outrebounded UAPB, 56-49, with 24 of those boards coming offensively

UPCOMING

The Razorbacks will continue its three-game homestand on Monday, Nov. 14, as Arkansas hosts Tulsa. That game is set to tipoff at 7 p.m. at Bud Walton Arena 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.