Preview - No. 16 Arkansas vs. Alabama

Mario Bravante February 27, 2021

INFO
Date: Sunday, Feb. 28
Time: 5 p.m.
Opponent: Alabama
Location: Bud Walton Arena
TV: SEC Network
Tickets: Click HERE
Game Program: Click HERE

LAST TIME OUT

No. 16 Arkansas earned a tight win over Auburn in Auburn Arena on Thursday night, beating the Tigers 74-69 in the regular season road finale.
With the win, Arkansas has now won four straight, and seven of its last eight games dating back to January 28.
The win also guaranteed Arkansas a winning record in the SEC this season, marking the first time in program history the Hogs have had back-to-back winning conference seasons.
Sophomore guard Makayla Daniels played hero in this one, scoring nine of her 11 points in the fourth quarter, including a dagger three off the dribble to put Arkansas up four late. After not seeing the floor much in the early parts of the game due to foul trouble, Daniels exploded late in the fourth, converting a three-point play chance before hitting two threes to put the Hogs ahead for good.
Redshirt senior guard Chelsea Dungee made history on the Plains, as her 12th point against Auburn put her collegiate point total ahead of Bettye Fiscus’ total of 2,073. With her 16-point performance, Dungee now has 2,078 career points, with 1,834 of them coming at Arkansas.
The first half was a defensive battle as neither squad was able to establish any rhythm offensively, with Auburn turning the ball over nine times in the first half and Arkansas shooting just 33 percent through the first 20 minutes. Auburn held the slim one-point at halftime, due in large part to Tigers’ senior Unique Thompson, who gathered 11 rebounds to start the game and finished with 18.
It was a different story in the second half as the Arkansas offense caught fire during the game’s crucial points. A Razorback push at the end of the third quarter trimmed a double-digit Auburn lead down to five heading into the final frame. And that is when the Hogs found their touch from deep. Arkansas went 5-9 from behind the arch in the fourth quarter, four of those coming from Daniels and Amber Ramirez, which contributed to a seven-point swing, bringing the Razorbacks from down three to up by four. The Arkansas defense stopped the Auburn offense to finish the game, holding the Tigers scoreless in the last four minutes, helping Arkansas escape Auburn with the road victory

STORYLINES

No. 16 Arkansas started its final week of the regular season with a 74-69 win at Auburn.
With the win, Arkansas will finish above .500 in the SEC, the first time in program history that has happened two seasons in a row.
The Hogs are trending up at the right time, as they have won four in a row and seven of their last eight games.
Arkansas moved up in both polls this week, jumping to 16 in both the AP and Coaches Polls.
In a year where games played is at a premium, Arkansas leads the NCAA, playing in 25 games so far this season.
Of those 25 games, nine of them have been played against teams currently in the AP Top 25.
They have also played five of the teams in the top-10, going 2-4 in those six games.
The Hogs started the SEC season 2-5, but have gone 6-1 over their last seven SEC games.
The Razorbacks have a chance to climb the standings even more on Sunday, as the game between the Hogs and the Tide will be for the sixth seed in the conference.
Both Arkansas and Alabama come into the game with eight wins in the SEC.
Chelsea Dungee is in a league all her in own in terms of scoring the ball.
On Thursday, Dungee brought her collegiate point total up to 2,078, the most collegiate points ever scored by a women’s basketball player at the University of Arkansas.
Ladyback Legend Bettye Fiscus held that distinction for 36 years, with her 2,073 career points.
However, it is important to note that it will not be recognized as a program record because 244 of her points came at Oklahoma during her freshman season.
It took Dungee 125 games to get passed the 2,073 point mark, and she averaged 16.6 points per game over that span.
Since coming to Arkansas, though, that number has jumped, as she has averaged 19.8 points per game during her three seasons on the Hill.

SCOUTING ALABAMA

Alabama is led by its big three of Ariyah Copeland, Jordan Lewis and Jasmine Walker.
Walker leads the way, averaging just shy of a double-double with 20.4 points and 9.9 rebounds, while Lewis adds 16.5 points, 4.4 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game and Copeland 14.4 points and 8.3 boards per outing.
Alabama has one of the top three-point shooters in the SEC and in the nation in Walker, who leads the league, and ranks top 15 nationally, in three-pointers per game (3.14), made (69) and attempted (165) and is No. 3 in the SEC in percentage (41.6)
Walker is also the only player in the SEC to rank in the top five in the conference in both scoring and rebounding.
Walker was named SEC Player of the Week last week following her record-setting performance at Auburn where she scored 41 to become Alabama’s single-game scoring leader.
Walker was also recently named a finalist for the 2021 Katrina McClain Award and to the Naismith Trophy Women’s Midseason Team.
The Tide has one of the most experienced point guards in the SEC in Lewis, who has started every game she’s played in since she arrived on campus in 2016 (125 games).
Lewis is also the SEC’s active leader in assists (491) and is No. 4 in career steals (156), No. 5 in career points (1,485) and No. 14 in career rebounds (509).

MORE INFORMATION

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