Basketball (W)

WBB Preview: Arkansas vs. #19 Alabama

January 18, 2025
SEC Network Game Notes

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Razorback women’s basketball team (8-11, 1-3 SEC) continues SEC play on Sunday when it faces No. 19 Alabama (16-3, 3-2 SEC) at Bud Walton Arena. Tipoff is set for 4:00 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on SEC Network with Tiffany Greene (play-by-play) and Bria Goss (analyst) on the call.

Arkansas will face its fourth ranked team in its last five games, and sixth for the season. The Razorbacks have faced then-No. 5 UCLA, No. 6 LSU, No. 5 Texas and No. 16 Tennessee so far this year, losing all four games.

Sunday’s game will be the Hogs’ annual We Back Pat game, honoring Tennessee’s legendary head coach Pat Summitt. The teams will be wearing purple shooting shirts, the official color of the Alzheimer’s disease movement

Game Info

Opponent: #19 Alabama (16-3, 3-2 SEC)
Tipoff: 4:00 p.m. CT
TV/Streaming: SEC Network
Radio: Listen | RSN Affiliates
Live Stats: Click here

Arkansas
Head Coach: Mike Neighbors
Record at Arkansas: 146-103 (8th season)
Career Record: 244-144 (12th)
Leading Scorer: Izzy Higginbottom (24.5 PPG)
Leading Rebounder: Vera Ojenuwa (7.5 RPG)

Alabama
Head Coach: Kristy Curry
Record at Alabama: 213-156 (12th season)
Career Record: 533-305 (26th season)
Leading Scorer: Zaay Green (16.6 PPG)
Leading Rebounders: Aaliyah Nye (6.4 RPG)

Game Notes

  • The two teams will square off for the 45th time overall and Arkansas leads the all-time series 27-17
  • The Hogs and Tide played twice last season, with Arkansas winning in Tuscaloosa 77-59 and Alabama winning in Fayetteville 86-70
  • Alabama is coming off a loss to No. 2/2 South Carolina. The Tide held the Gamecocks to just 15% from the three-point range which marked the team’s lowest percentage from deep on the season
  • Izzy Higginbottom has cemented herself as one of the best scorers in the NCAA through the first 19 games and ranks No. 4 in the country and first in the SEC in points per game (24.5) ahead of Vanderbilt’s Khamil Pierre (22.4). She has been the Hogs’ leading scorer in 16 games (Fairfield, Little Rock, UTA, UCLA, ORU, OSU, BGSU, BC, TTU, LIB, Troy, UCA, LSU, Texas, Auburn, Tennessee) this season
  • She also leads the team and ranks second in the SEC in FT%, going 136-151 (.901) from the charity stripe. Higginbottom leads the SEC and ranks second in the NCAA in FTA (151) and leads the SEC and ranks No. 2 in the NCAA with 136 FTM. She’s been perfect from the line in eight games (ETA&M, LR, UCLA, BGSU, SEMO, LU, Troy, LSU) this season.
  • Higginbottom exploded for a career-high 38 points against Boston College, the most points by a Razorback since Chelsea Dungee dropped 41 against Auburn in 2019.
  • With the 38 points from the BC game and 18 points against SEMO, Higginbottom was named Co-SEC Player of the Week.
  • With 26 points against Tennessee, Higginbottom now has 19 straight games in double figures and is the first Hog to accomplish the feat since Amber Ramirez did it in 2021-22.
  • Higginbottom is tied for the most 25+ point games in the NCAA (10 games) with Florida State’s Ta’Niya Latson.
  • Izzy picked up her second 30+ point game of the season after she dropped 36 points at Auburn on Jan. 9. It’s tied for the second most points in an SEC game so far this season. It’s also the sixith most by a Razorback player in an SEC game and the most since Erynn Barnum scored 37 points against Ole Miss.
  • Sophomore guard Kiki Smith has established herself as a consistent scoring threat for Arkansas. The Topeka, Kan. native has 10+ points in 10 of 19 games and has started every game this season.
  • Smith paced Arkansas with 22 points in its first win of the season against East Texas A&M.  She went 8-9 from FG and the lone miss was in the fourth quarter.
  • From beyond the arc, Kiki ranks eighth in the SEC and 61st in the NCAA with 41 3s
  • Freshman Phoenix Stotijn made her long awaited debut against Texas Tech. The Dutch native settled in in the second half and shot 3-6 from three and converted her lone free throw attempt. Stotijn finished with 12 points and played just over 20 minutes.
  • The Hogs also added former Razorback soccer player Ella Rogers to the roster. Rogers, a Granville, Ohio native, was a first-team all district and first-team all-league guard for Granville High School.

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

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