Basketball (W)

Preview – Final Regular Season Road Game on Deck

kylie magar February 22, 2023

FAYETTEVILLE – The Arkansas women’s basketball team (19-10, 6-8 SEC) is set to face Mississippi State (19-8, 8-6 SEC) in a pivotal bubble match on the road. Arkansas is looking for a last push to earn an NCAA Tournament bid with two regular season games remaining before the SEC Tournament. The game will tipoff at 8 p.m. Thursday with coverage of the game being broadcast on SEC Network from Humphrey Coliseum.

GAME INFORMATION

Date: Thursday, Feb. 23
Time: 8 p.m.
Opponent: Mississippi State
Location: Humphrey Coliseum
Watch: SECN
Listen: Razorback Sports Network from Learfield
Arkansas Game Notes
Live Stats

STORYLINES

  • Arkansas’ game against Mississippi State, two bubble teams, is almost a must-win for the Razorbacks
  • The Razorbacks started out the season 13-0 and finished the non-conference slate with an impressive 13-2 mark. Arkansas is 6-8 in a competitive league that is the SEC
  • Arkansas and Mississippi State have played an even series, as the Bulldogs have a slight 22-21 edge, but the Razorbacks are going into Starkville with three straight wins over State
  • The team is 19-10 with the opportunity to earn the program’s 22nd 20-win season in program history, third under head coach Mike Neighbors
  • Erynn Barnum leads the team in scoring and rebounding with 16.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Her .581 field goal percentage leads the SEC, as it has majority of the season. She is coming off achieving 1,000 points in her career and became the 18th Razorback to join the 1,000 points/500 rebound club
  • Barnum is one of 10 candidates for the Katrina McClain Award, given to the best power forward in the country
  • Samara Spencer is the second leading scorer with 13.4 points per game and leads the team in assists with 127. Her 4.4 assists per game is the fourth most in the SEC
  • Makayla Daniels leads the team in steals with 50 and averages 12.8 points per game
  • Daniels keeps moving up in career top 10-20 lists, sitting No. 16 in points (1,347), No. 4 in career starts (114), No. 9 in career 3-pointers (157) and No. 14 in career assists (293)
  • Chrissy Carr logs 11.6 points per game and leads the squad with 69 3-pointers
  • Saylor Poffenbarger has a team’s most 33 blocks and with 166 defensive rebounds. She needs 25 more to earn the individual season defensive rebound record
  • The team is second in least turnovers committed per game in the SEC with 14.0 per game
  • Arkansas gets to the line 23.2 times per game, which is second in the conference and sixth in the country. The Razorbacks’ 15.5 makes from the free throw line per game is third in the SEC and 16th in the NCAA
  • Arkansas leads the SEC in 3-point attempts per game (26.5), which is 12th in the country, and No. 2 in 3-pointers per game (7.9) in the league

SCOUTING MISSISSIPPI STATE

  • Mississippi State is 19-8, also searching for 20 wins like the Razorbacks, along with being 8-6 in SEC play
  • Jessika Carter paces the Bulldogs with 14.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game along with 55 blocks
  • Anastasia Hayes has a team’s most 116 assists
  • JerKaila Jordan leads the way in steals with 59, while also averaging double digits with 11.5 points per game
  • In the SEC Preseason Coaches Poll, Mississippi State was picked to finish in a tie for fifth (with Arkansas), as well as eighth in the Media Poll
  • Hayes was tabbed to the Preseason Coaches All-SEC First Team, while Carter was picked to the Second Team. Both were picked to the Second Team by the media
  • Sam Purcell is undergoing a successful first year at Mississippi State as a first-year head coach

HISTORY AGAINST THE BULLDOGS

  • Arkansas is behind slightly in the series, 21-22, but in SEC regular season games, the Razorbacks have a 20-18 edge
  • The first game of the series was in 1992, which ended in favor of Mississippi State with a 76-66 loss for Arkansas in Starkville
  • Arkansas is on a three-game winning streak against Mississippi State after previously losing 10 straight to the Bulldogs
  • The Razorbacks are 7-12 in games played in Starkville
  • Arkansas saw Mississippi State twice last season, picking up two wins, including an important 87-79 road victory to ultimately clinch an NCAA Tournament bid. In that win, all five starters reached double digits in scoring. Sasha Goforth led Arkansas with 20 points and three blocks, while Jersey Wolfenbarger logged 13 points and six rebounds. Daniels had 14 points and Spencer put up 12 points

LAST TIME OUT

  • Arkansas was down by six to Georgia with nine minutes remaining, but was outscored 23-8 in the fourth quarter to drop the game, 71-48
  • Carr led the Razorbacks with 21 points and making all of Arkansas’ five 3-pointers to tie a career-high
  • Barnum joined the 1,000-point club in the fourth quarter and finished the game with 16 points, seven rebounds and a block
  • Poffenbarger pulled down seven defensive rebounds and Daniels logged an SEC-high six assists

UPCOMING

Arkansas will put a wrap to the regular season by hosting Texas A&M on Sunday, Feb. 26. The 11 a.m. game will be broadcast on SEC Network, while also serving as Senior Day. Arkansas will honor seniors Carr and Avery Hughes following the conclusion of the game.

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.

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