Preview – First Top 25 Matchup at Bud Walton Set to Open SEC Play

kylie magar December 28, 2022

FAYETTEVILLE – The No. 24/22 Arkansas women’s basketball team (13-2) is looking to commence Southeastern Conference play on a high note, as the Razorbacks host No. 9 LSU (12-0) on Thursday at 6 p.m. at Bud Walton Arena. The top 25 matchup will be broadcast on ESPN2.

GAME INFORMATION

Date: Thursday, Dec. 29
Time: 6 p.m.
Opponent: No. 9 LSU
Location: Bud Walton Arena (Fayetteville, Ark.)
Watch: ESPN2
Listen: Razorback Sports Network from Learfield
Promotions: Junior Razorback Holiday Appreciation and UA Faculty and Staff Appreciation
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Arkansas Game Notes
LSU Game Notes
Live Stats

STORYLINES

Arkansas women’s basketball is ranked for the fourth straight week, despite coming off a pair of the team’s first losses of the year. The Razorbacks are No. 24 in the AP Poll, dropping from being at No. 17 the week prior
The Razorbacks finished the non-conference slate at 13-2, with its 13 wins being tied for the most in the country
Arkansas played the maximum allotted games in the non-conference season with 15, so the team is prepped and can experience several different opponents before a tough SEC slate
The Razorbacks started the season 13-0 for the third time in school history
Arkansas’s 13 wins is tied for the most in the country
16 LSU vs. No. 24 Arkansas is the first top-25 matchup inside Bud Walton Arena this season, and Arkansas is set to face a top 25 opponent for the fourth time this season
The Razorbacks have not fared well in SEC openers in the past with a 5-26 overall record in SEC openers, while going 4-9 at home. Arkansas is 0-2 against LSU in SEC openers at home
The team has a well-balanced offensive attack with four players averaging double digits in scoring
Samara Spencer leads Arkansas with 16.3 points per game and 70 total assists. She is third in free throw attempts in the NCAA (103)
Saylor Poffenbarger has brought a huge defensive presence to the team, leading the way in rebounding with 8.4 per game with 111 of her 126 rebounds coming on the defensive side. She also leads the team with 17 blocks
Erynn Barnum and Makayla Daniels are tied for a team’s most steals with 22. Barnum is the second leading scorer with 15.8 points per game, while Daniels follows with 14.1 points per game
Chrissy Carr puts up 11.4 points per game and leads the squad with 33 3-pointers
Barnum’s field goal percentage continues to lead the SEC at .639, as well as No. 11 in the country
Nobody in the country gets to the free throw line like the Razorbacks, as the team is second in the country in free throw attempts per game (26.73)
In the SEC, Arkansas is No. 2 in 3-pointers per game (8.53)
Mike Neighbors’ teams in the past few years have not been known for rebounding the ball effectively, but that has changed, as the Razorbacks have outrebounded opponents in 11 of 15 games. The team’s 31.9 defensive rebounds per game is the eighth most in the country

SCOUTING LSU

LSU is undefeated after going a perfect 12-0 in the non-conference slate, while sitting at No. 9 in the most recent ranking
The Tigers have reached 100 points in five games, while leading the nation in scoring with 94.8 points per game
LSU’s biggest win in non-conference was against Power 5 Oregon State with a decisive 87-55 victory
Angel Reese is one of the most impressive players in the country, having averaged 24.6 points and 14.7 rebounds per game along with 27 steals
Alexis Morris leads the team with 52 assists
The Tigers were projected to finish third in both the media and coaches SEC Preseason Poll
Reese and Morris were chosen to the SEC Preseason Team, First Team by coaches and Second Team by the media
Last season, the Tigers finished 26-6 with a 13-3 SEC record. LSU hosted the first and second rounds and was upset by 6-seed Ohio State, 79-64, to have its tournament run end there
Kim Mulkey is in her second season at LSU and is a name synonymous with greatness in college women’s basketball as a player and coach. She is coming off being named AP National Coach of the Year

HISTORY AGAINST THE TIGERS

Arkansas trails 19-33 in the all-time series with Thursday’s game marking the 53rd time the teams will meet
The Razorbacks have a three-game winning streak over the Tigers
Arkansas has the 6-4 edge in the last 10 meetings
The Razorbacks took down the No. 12/11 Tigers last season at Bud Walton Arena, as Arkansas cruised to a 90-76 victory. Three Razorbacks reached 20+ points, including Spencer and Daniels who both had 20 points

LAST TIME OUT

Arkansas is coming off back-to-back losses, the team’s firsts of the season after starting the year 13-2
The Razorbacks went 0-2 at the San Diego Invitational, losing both by a cumulative total of eight points
Arkansas suffered its first loss of the season to No. 16 Oregon by an 85-78 decision. The Razorbacks were up by seven in the beginning of the fourth quarter, but gave up 30 points in the final quarter
In the game against the Ducks, Spencer earned her first career double-double behind 20 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds
Barnum led the team with 22 points off a career-high three 3-pointers along with nine rebounds
Poffenbarger pulled down 11 rebounds for her fifth 10+ rebound game of the year
Arkansas then lost to USF in overtime, 66-65. The Razorbacks were up by three with less than 20 seconds left in regulation, but fouling on a 3-pointer sent the Bulls to the free throw line with an opportunity to tie up the game, which they did, and would outscore Arkansas 4-3 in overtime
Barnum earned her second consecutive 20-point game by leading the team with 21 points
Daniels logged 20 points, while Carr had 10
Arkansas was outrebounded in both games, which is something we hadn’t seen much in the first half of games this season

UPCOMING

Arkansas will travel to Lexington, Kentucky to kick off the new year with a January 1st matchup at Kentucky. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. Central 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.