Razorbacks Host SHSU In Season Opener

November 9, 2016

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Looking to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years, the University of Arkansas women’s basketball team opens the 2016-17 season against Sam Houston State on Friday at 10:30 a.m. in Bud Walton Arena. It is also the annual Elementary Day game and the first of four straight home games to begin the season.

Third-year head coach Jimmy Dykes enters returns three starters and six other players from a team that went 12-18 overall and 7-9 in Southeastern Conference play last season. Among them is All-SEC First-Team selection Jessica Jackson. The Razorbacks also welcome five newcomers, including McDonald’s All-American Aaliyah Wilson.

In the lone exhibition contest, Arkansas defeated Oklahoma Baptist 79-32. Four players scored in double figures, led by Jackson and Jordan Danberry with 14 points each. Defensively, the Razorbacks held OBU to just 24.5 percent shooting, and the 32 points allowed were tied for the fewest points allowed in an exhibition game in program history.

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The Opponent
Arkansas will face Sam Houston State for the seventh time in program history. Arkansas has won each of the first six meetings in the series, all in Fayetteville, including a 67-47 win in 2015.

Sam Houston State (13-19, 7-11) finished tied for eighth place in the Southland Conference season standings and advanced to the tournament championship game this past season. The Bearkats were picked to finish 10th by the Southland Conference head coaches and ninth by the league sports information directors entering the 2016-17 season.

Notable
• Arkansas is 19-10 in home games, including 11-4 in non-conference home games, under head coach Jimmy Dykes. Arkansas is also 2-0 in season openers and 2-0 in home openers under Dykes.
• Arkansas is 6-0 all-time in home Elementary Day games, including an 81-45 win against Sam Houston State during the 2013-14 season.
• Arkansas is 44-10 all-time against Southland Conference opponents, including a 29-1 record at home. The lone loss came against Stephen F. Austin during the 1987-88 season.
• Sam Houston State is one of three Southland Conference opponents, along with Northwestern State and Houston Baptist, on Arkansas’ schedule.

Quotable – From Coach Jimmy Dykes
“We have probably spent 20 percent of practice time on defense and that’s by design. We want to be a team that can create stuff off of our defense and play more aggressive. You can see the style that we want to play and create offense off of our defense.”

Looking Ahead
Arkansas continues its four-game season-opening home stand against Louisiana-Monroe on Sunday at 2 p.m. Arkansas will also welcome defending WNIT champion South Dakota and Stetson, before hitting the road for the first time this season and heading to Reno, Nevada, for the Nugget Classic.

To order tickets for the 2016-17 season, click here or call the Razorback Ticket Center at 800-982-HOGS (4647) or 479-575-5151. Fans can email the Razorback Ticket Center at raztk@uark.edu.

For more information on Arkansas women’s basketball, follow @RazorbackWBB on Twitter.