Razorbacks host Kentucky

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The University of Arkansas women’s basketball team is looking to return to the win column hosting No. 20 Kentucky in Bud Walton Arena.

Arkansas (9-13, 1-8 SEC) is coming off a well-played game at No. 5 Tennessee on Thursday and is hoping to carry the momentum into the second meeting with the Wildcats (19-3, 7-2 SEC).

“I felt good about our efforts in Tennessee,” Razorback head coach Tom Collen said. “It was a step in the right direction. Now, we have to get ready for Kentucky and they are one of the hottest teams in the SEC right now.”

The Wildcats are coming off an 80-66 win over Ole Miss Thursday and had three players in double figures. Victoria Dunlap leads Kentucky and ranks third in the SEC averaging 17.6 ppg this year.

Arkansas counters with the solid play of Charity Ford, Lyndsay Harris and C’eira Ricketts. The trio all average double digits this season.

“We have to take the positive things we did at Tennessee and bring those into our preparation for Kentucky,” Collen said. “We are going to see a very confident team who plays very fast and very hard all game long.

“We were a bit shocked by Kentucky’s speed in the first meeting,” Collen continued. “You can talk and talk about it (speed) but until you see it, you just don’t understand it.”

Kentucky and Arkansas have played once this year in Lexington with the Wildcats getting a 69-52 win over Arkansas. The Razorbacks got behind early and struggled to recover but junior Skye Rees emerged from the game with some valuable minutes and a new understanding of the game.

Rees has since seen her minutes increase as well has her production.

The home game with the Wildcats in the first of three more in Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas hosts Ole Miss Feb. 18 and welcomes Alabama for senior day and the pink game Feb. 21.