Preview – Arkansas Hosts Murray State for Elementary Day

kylie magar November 9, 2023

FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas women’s basketball is back at Bud Walton Arena to host Murray State for the program’s 12th Elementary Day on Friday, Nov. 10. The game against the Racers is set to tipoff at 10:30 a.m. with an expected crowd of 10,000 attendees, including 7,000 students from local elementary schools. This crowd is expected to be in the top five home crowd in program history at Bud Walton Arena. Those unable to attend Friday’s game can stream it on SECN+.

GAME INFORMATION

Date: Friday, Nov. 10
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Opponent: Murray State
Location: Bud Walton Arena (Fayetteville, Ark.)
Watch: SECN+
Listen: Razorback Sports Network from Learfield
Promotions: Elementary Day, Veteran’s Day Recognition
Arkansas Game Notes
Murray State Games Notes
Tickets
Live Stats

STORYLINES

Arkansas is set to host Elementary Day with an expected 7,000 kids in attendance, which would break the Elementary Day record
The program is 11-1 all-time in Elementary Day games, 11-0 at home
Arkansas women’s basketball got the 2023-24 season started with a victory over ULM, 81-76, to open the season 1-0 for the 12th straight year, 29th in the last 31 years
The win over ULM marked Mike Neighbors’ season-opening record to 9-2 as a head coach
Taliah Scott enjoyed quite a collegiate debut with a team-leading 29 points, which marked the most points scored by a freshman in their Arkansas debut vs. the Warhawks
As one of the best rebounders in the country, Saylor Poffenbarger pulled down a career-high 21 rebounds, which was one shy of tying the individual game record. She broke the sophomore game record and has pulled down the most boards in the NCAA in a game played this season thus far
The Hogs were picked to finish sixth and seventh in the SEC Preseason Media and Coaches Poll, respectively
Arkansas came just short of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament, but the team made the most out of their opportunity to play in the postseason, finishing in the Great 8 of the Postseason WNIT, which marked the fourth time in program history the Razorbacks advanced to the fourth round of that postseason tournament
Fifth-year Makayla Daniels was selected on the All-SEC Preseason Second Team, as chosen by the league’s coaches. After 17 points off an efficient 7-of-11 shooting from the field against ULM, Daniels has 1,480 points to sit No. 10 all-time in school history and has started in all 123 games she has appeared in
Samara Spencer is the leading returning scorer from last year, having averaged 14.4 points per game and pacing the team with 154 assists. She picked up from where she left off in the season opener, logging a near double-double of 16 points and eight boards vs. ULM
After one game, Sasha Goforth leads the team in blocks and steals with three a piece vs. ULM in the opener
Arkansas is one of two schools in the SEC to have finished in the top 50 in NET/RPI rankings in the past four years (South Carolina the other) and one of three in the SEC to qualify for the past five consecutive postseason tournaments (SC and Tennessee the others, including 2020 when postseason was cancelled due to COVID-19)
Coach Neighbors returns three starters from the 2022-23 team, seven total returners, while bringing in the No. 17 ranked recruiting class, according to ESPN

SCOUTING MURRAY STATE

Friday’s game will serve as Murray State’s season opener
Murray State was chosen to finish seventh out of 12 teams in the Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Poll, as chosen by the league’s coaches
Katelyn Young was tabbed to the All-MVC Preseason First Team. Young is coming off last season having averaged 21.4 points per game, which led the MVC, and 7.8 rebounds per game. The rising senior found herself on the 2024 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Watchlist and was the 2021-22 Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year
The Racers finished last season 15-16, 7-13 in the MVC, which was eighth in the league. Murray State beat Evansville in the MVC Tournament, 88-46, before almost upsetting No. 1-seed Illinois State, 75-73, in the quarterfinals
Murray State have a veteran-heavy roster, as 10 of the 15 are upperclassmen. They have 11 returners, two transfers and two freshmen
Head coach Rechelle Turner is in her seventh season at the helm at Murray State, coming into this year with a 91-89 career record

HISTORY AGAINST THE RACERS

Arkansas is 2-0 in the all-time series against the Racers, with Arkansas reaching triple digits in both victories
These two teams haven’t squared off since 1990, as Arkansas defeated Murray State, 102-48 on Dec. 5, 1990
Both games in this series have been played in Fayetteville
The first game of the series was on Feb. 4, 1983, as Arkansas won, 100-69

LAST TIME OUT

Arkansas pulled out a hard-fought victory over a talented ULM team, 81-76 in the season opener. The Hogs held a 14-point lead with 3.5 minutes left in the game, but a late surge by the Warhawks made it a one possession game with 19 seconds left in the contest. Arkansas was able to hit 6-of-8 from the charity stripe down the stretch to pull out the win
Scott led the Hogs with 29 points, which is the most scored by an Arkansas freshman in their debut. She was 9-of-13 from the line and added six boards in 32 minutes played in the start
Daniels was an efficient 7-of-11 from the field, 3-of-5 from 3-point for 17 points with two steals
Spencer logged 16 points, shooting 10-of-12 from the line with eight boards
In her first game back since March 2022, Goforth registered four points, seven rebounds, three blocks and three steals
Maryam Dauda had four points, seven rebounds and two blocks in her first career start
The Hogs’ 44 free throws attempted went down as the third most in a game in school history

UPCOMING

Arkansas is set to wrap up the three-game season opening homestand against Little Rock on Tuesday, Nov. 14. The game will tipoff at 7 p.m. on SECN+.

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.