Preview - No. 25 Arkansas @ Alabama

Mario Bravante January 29, 2020

INFO
Date: Thursday, Jan. 30
Time: 7 p.m.
Opponent: Alabama
Location: Coleman Coliseum
TV: SEC Network +

LAST TIME OUT

No. 25 Arkansas got back into the win column on Sunday afternoon at Bud Walton Arena, beating the visiting Florida Gators, 79-57.
The Hogs won what was a closely contested game by putting on a clinic in the fourth period, outscoring the Gators 25-10 in the frame.
Arkansas’ offense was borderline unguardable, as the Hogs shot 57.1 percent against the Gators, their best in a conference game since 2012.
Freshman guard Makayla Daniels led the way for Arkansas in her best performance of the conference season so far, going for a game-high 19 points.
Four other Razorbacks joined Daniels in double-figures: Taylah Thomas (13), Amber Ramirez (12), A’Tyanna Gaulden (12) and Alexis Tolefree (10).
Arkansas got off to a hot start in this one, outscoring the Gators 26-13 in the first frame. Gaulden was sensational in the first, as she scored seven points and dished two assists to provide the spark to separate the teams.
However, the Gators climbed back into this one, chipping away in both the second and third quarters, cutting the Hog lead to as little as five late in the third quarter. Daniels quickly put an end to that, scoring the first 10 points of the final period to put the game on ice. The Hogs would lead 64-49 by the time her 10-0 solo run was done.
Daniels became the first freshman Hog to score 19+ in a conference game since Aaliyah Wilson had 20 against Texas A&M in 2017 (1/11/17).
Daniels also had four steals, leading the squad. It was her third game this season with 4+ steals.
Gaulden was again lethal dishing the ball, going for five more assists. It was her sixth game this season with 5+ assists.
In addition to her 13 points, Thomas snared seven rebounds to lead the Hogs.
Erynn Barnum continues to play well, going for six points and three rejections.

STORYLINES

The Razorbacks are getting excellent productivity out of their two lead guards so far this season.
That was especially true on Sunday, as the Hogs leaned heavily on both Makayla Daniels and A’Tyanna Gaulden in order to beat Florida.
Gaulden got things started for the Hogs against Florida, scoring or assisting on nine straight points during Arkansas’ 14-2 run that closed out the first period.
Daniels would finish this one off, as she would score the first 10 points of the fourth quarter for the Hogs.
In total, the lead guard duo combined for 31 points, as Daniels went for 19 while Gaulden went for 12. Daniel’s 19 points were the most by a freshman in a SEC game since 2017, while Gaulden’s 12 points matched her career-best in a SEC game.
Daniels has provided scoring and defense for the Hogs this season, as her 10.2 points per game are the fourth most on the team, while her 26 total steals are third most on the squad.
Gaulden, meanwhile, has provided a lift with her passing, as she leads the Hogs in helpers (66) despite coming off the bench for Coach Neighbors.
Senior guard Alexis Tolefree has been excellent for the Razorbacks so far this season.
She is averaging career-highs across the board, including points per game (14.2), field goal percentage (.445), three-point field goal percentage (.452), and assists per game (2.2).
Tolefree had a career night against Vanderbilt, going for 25 points on 9-14 shooting.
Tolefree has scored in double-figures in eight of her last nine games. She has gone for 20+ in four of those games.
The senior guard has been lethal so far in conference play, averaging 15.4 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game.
Despite being the shortest starter for the Razorbacks, her 5.3 rebounds per game over the conference schedule so far leads the team.

SCOUTING ALABAMA

The Alabama women’s basketball team will finish up its three-game homestand with another ranked opponent when No. 25/25 Arkansas comes to Coleman Coliseum on Thursday night. The Crimson Tide is looking to continue its momentum after its record breaking win over Vanderbilt.
Highlighted in Thursday’s game will be the two teams’ prolific scoring offenses with Alabama ranking as No. 4 in the SEC and Arkansas coming in with the fourth-most points per game in the nation with 85 per contest.
This is the 39th meeting between the two programs with the Razorbacks winning the last two matchups. Arkansas has won the last seven meetings in Tuscaloosa with the last Alabama home win coming on January 15, 2006. In the overall series, the Razorbacks have won eight of the last nine games against the Crimson Tide.
Since the 1999-00 season only one Alabama team has averaged more than 70 points per game for the season and none have over the previous 17. This season, the Crimson Tide is putting up 74.8 points per contest which ranks fourth in the SEC. Alabama is on pace to score the most points in a season since 1998-99 when the Tide put up 77.5 per game.
Redshirt junior Jordan Lewis became the program’s 29th 1,000-point scorer on Jan. 20 at Tennessee. She currently has 1,035 career points. Lewis took over the No. 8 spot in career assists at Alabama against Texas A&M on Jan. 23 and is just eight away from moving up to No. 7. She has scored in double figures in 10 straight games for an average of 15.2 points per game. For the season, she leads the team in points (13.7), assists (3.7) and is second in three-point makes (35).
Alabama is one of the best three-point shooting teams in the SEC, coming in at fourth in the conference in attempts (411), makes (144), makes per game (7.2) and percentage (35.0).
Junior Jasmine Walker has been on fire as of late from beyond the arc after putting in 18-of-43 (41.9 percent) in conference play. For the season, Walker is fourth in the conference in three-point percentage (39.2), fifth in makes (40) and sixth in makes per game (2.0).

MORE INFORMATION

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