Preview - No. 18 Arkansas vs. Mississippi State

Mario Bravante February 10, 2021

INFO
Date: Thursday, Feb. 11
Time: 8 p.m.
Opponent: Mississippi State
Location: Bud Walton Arena
TV: SEC Network
Tickets: Click HERE
Game Program: Click HERE

LAST TIME OUT

For the second time this season, a neck-and-neck matchup between Arkansas and Texas A&M went the way of the Aggies, as A&M took round two, 69-67.
Texas A&M guard Jordan Nixon, who hit the game-winning layup in the first game this season, did it again Sunday, dropping in the go-ahead layup with eight seconds left that proved to be the dagger.
Arkansas guard Amber Ramirez knocked down five three-pointers in her 21-point performance, the fourth-straight game that Ramirez has hit at least five shots from deep.
The Razorbacks had four players score in double figures and forced 17 A&M turnovers in the effort.
In a game that mirrored the first matchup between the two teams this year, there was little to separate the Hogs and the Aggies, especially in the first half.
It was a back-and-forth affair with Ramirez and Arkansas senior Chelsea Dungee combining for 16 points, while Kayla Wells led the Aggies with nine points.
The second half was no less tight than the first, as the Razorbacks matched A&M punch-for-punch. It looked like the Aggies might pull away with a surge late in the third quarter, but the Hogs answered with a 12-0 spurt of their own to erase a the deficit and pull even with just under three minutes to go.
Ramirez notched a clutch three with under 30 seconds to go, but Nixon won it again on the other end.
Ramirez continued her solid play, going for 17+ for the fourth straight game.
Redshirt sophomore forward Erynn Barnum packed a punch off the pine once again, going for 10 points on perfect 4/4 shooting.
Dungee’s double-digit scoring streak now stands at 25 straight games.

STORYLINES

No. 18 Arkansas split its last week in the SEC, beating Mizzou on the road before falling to A&M.
The game against the Aggies, who are currently No. 6 in the AP Poll, came a week early.
Arkansas moved down in the polls this week, dropping to 18 in the AP, while moving down to 17 in the Coaches Poll.
In a year where games played is at a premium, Arkansas leads the country in the category, playing in 21 games so far this season.
Of those 21 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.
Redshirt senior guard Chelsea Dungee was the talk of the women’s college basketball world after her masterful performance against UConn, as she was named National Player of the Week by both ESPN and the US Basketball Writer’s Association.
She was also the SEC Player of the Week for the second time this season.
The team was recognized for the UConn victory as well, as the Hogs were the USBWA’s team of the week. Coach Neighbors was also named ESPN’s National Coach of the Week for the second time.
Coach Neighbors’ 2020-21 Hogs have been an offensive juggernaut so far this season, averaging 84.3 points per game, sixth in the NCAA.
Arkansas gets a lot of its offense from beyond the arc, where the Hogs are once again ranked among the elite. They have made 206 threes so far this season, which is the second best mark in the NCAA.]
They are hitting 9.8 of them a game, which is currently seventh in the NCAA.
The Hogs aren’t just a volume three-point shooting team though – they are hitting 38.9 percent of their long balls this year, ninth in the NCAA.
Neighbors’ bunch has been the best team in the country at getting to the line and converting its chances – Arkansas is ranked first in the NCAA in both free throws made (351) and free throws attempted (481).
Chelsea Dungee (127) currently leads in the nation in free throws made, and is second in attempts (159).
The Hogs also play an efficient style of basketball, only turning the ball over 9.9 times a game on average, which is currently good for second in the NCAA and first in the Power Five. Their +7.48 turnover margin is seventh best in the NCAA.

SCOUTING MISSISSIPPI STATE

The Bulldogs will come into the game well rested, as they have only played one game in the last 25 days.
Since the start of the 2016-17 campaign, Mississippi State owns 139 wins, which is the fourth-most victories in all of Division I behind UConn (150), Baylor (145) and Louisville (143).
Rickea Jackson, who was named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 watch list, is averaging a team-best 15.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
The sophomore forward owns two 30-point efforts and 10 games with 20+ points during her career.
One of the most efficient posts in the country, Jessika Carter ranks 23rd among active Division I players in career field goal percentage (.552).
She owns 17 career double-doubles, leads the team rebounding (9.2 rpg) and is second in scoring (15.3).
The duo of Carter and Jackson has been a scoring nightmare for opposing defenses the last two seasons, with the two combining for 18 games with 20+ points.
Jackson’s 10 such performances ranks 11th in MSU history since 1999, while Carter’s eight 20-point games stands as the 16th most.
After ranking eighth in the country and leading the SEC in assist/turnover ratio (2.80) last season, Myah Taylor picked up right where she left off, ranking 23rd in the country and leading the SEC with a 2.80 assist/turnover ratio.
Between her scoring and assists, Taylor has accounted for more than 25 percent of MSU’s total scoring in six contests, including when she was responsible for 50 percent (30 of 60) of State’s points against Ole Miss.