Preview - No. 25 Arkansas vs. No. 15 Kentucky

INFO
Date: Sunday, Feb. 9
Time: 3 p.m.
Opponent: No. 15 Kentucky
Location: Bud Walton Arena
TV: ESPN2
Tickets: All Tickets $1 | Kids In FREE (12 & Under)
Promotions: #PackThePalace | Play4Kay (Wear Pink) | Dollar Day | Postgame Autographs

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

LAST TIME OUT

• No. 25 Arkansas lost to the number one team in the nation on Thursday night, falling to South Carolina (22-1, 10-0) in Bud Walton Arena, 86-65.
• The Gamecocks were dominant in the paint against the Hogs, scoring 50 points in deep, while winning the rebounding battle, 57-31.
• Redshirt junior guard Chelsea Dungee led the way for the Razorbacks, scoring a team-high 16 points in the loss.
• Senior guard Alexis Tolefree was the only other Razorback to join Dungee in double-figures, going for 13.
• The Gamecocks got out to a hot start for the second time this season against the Razorbacks, jumping out to a quick 9-0 lead early in the first quarter.
• The Hogs would claw back into the game in the first, cutting the lead down to five with 1:49 to go in the period, but South Carolina would spread it back to nine by the end of the frame, taking a 26-17 lead into the second.
• From there, the Hogs would go on several runs, including a quick 7-0 run to cut it back to 10 late in the second. However, the Hogs wouldn’t get any closer than that the rest of the way.
• Tolefree reached double-figures for the fourth straight contest.
• Dungee also led the Hogs in rebounds (7) and steals (3) against the Gamecocks.
• Redshirt junior guard Amber Ramirez led the Hogs in assists, going for four, one shy of her season-high.
• Redshirt freshman forward Erynn Barnum registered her ninth multi-block performance of the season, swatting away two shots.

STORYLINES

• No. 25 Arkansas is 0-3 against Top-25 opponents so far this season.
• The Hogs are 2-14 against Top-15 opponents in the Neighbors’ era at Arkansas, with both of their wins coming in last season’s SEC Tourmanet.
• The last time the Hogs beat a Top-15 team in the Palace was back on January 14, 2016, when they beat No. 13 Tennessee, 64-59.
• The last time the Hogs played in front of a regular season crowd of 5,000+ people came back in 2016, when the Hogs hosted No. 13 Mississippi State (5,273, 1/31/16).
• Though Neighbors’ squads are not usually known for their defense, this team has been stifling in some important areas so far this season.
• The Hogs are currently third in the country in three-point percentage defense. Opponents are shooting just 23.7 percent from deep against the Razorbacks.
• Old Dominion and UNLV are the only other schools in the NCAA that have held their opponents to under 24 percent shooting from deep this season.
• Neighbors’ bunch has been good finishing their defensive possessions, too, as the Hogs are currently the 21st-best team in the NCAA in defensive rebounding average (29.1).
• Arkansas is also 19th in the country in Turnover Margin (+5.83).

SCOUTING KENTUCKY

• It will be strength against strength in this matchup, as Arkansas’ elite offense will face a tough test in Kentucky’s defense.
• UK has forced 16 of its 22 opponents into 20+ turnovers. The Wildcats have forced 475 turnovers this year and scored 524 points off those miscues amassing 33% of its total scoring. Arkansas, meanwhile, only turns the ball over 11.2 times a game, good for third best in the NCAA.
• UK has scored 20+ points off turnovers in 18 games, including 31 and 25 vs. Florida.
• The Wildcats rank 25th nationally and first in the SEC in scoring defense at 56.1 points per game. UK started the season by limiting a program record 10 straight opponents to 54 points or less.
• The Razorbacks are currently second in the league in scoring offense (78.5) , and have been held to under 60 points just one time all season.
• UK has won 18 of the last 19 meetings against the Razorbacks, including 10 straight. UK’s last loss to Arkansas was a 78-67 decision on Jan. 6, 2011 in Fayetteville.
• Thursday’s win vs. Alabama was Kentucky’s second without its star guard Rhyne Howard, who has missed the last three games with a fractured finger on her left (non-shooting) hand.
• It was Sabrina Haines that stepped up big for Kentucky against the Tide, scoring 14 points and hitting four 3s. Jaida Roper had 10 points while Chasity Patterson had 11 points. UK’s three post players – McKinney had 9 points while Wyatt and Anyagaligbo had 7 points – played well vs. Alabama.

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.