Basketball (W)

WBB Preview: Arkansas at Mississippi State

February 5, 2025
SEC Network+

STARKVILLE, Miss. – The Razorback women’s basketball team (9-15, 2-7 SEC) begins a two-game road trip with Mississippi State (16-7, 3-6 SEC) on Thursday night. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and the game will be streamed on SEC Network+ with Bart Gregory (play-by-play) and Brittany Lange (analyst) on the call.

Arkansas is coming off a 108-78 loss to Florida on Monday night at Bud Walton Arena. Izzy Higginbottom became the fourth player in program history to pass the 40-point mark in the loss.

The Bulldogs faced No. 7/5 LSU on Sunday and fell, 81-67, in Baton Rouge.

Game Info

Opponent: Mississippi State (16-7, 3-6 SEC)
Tipoff: 6:30 p.m. CT
TV/Streaming: SEC Network+
Radio: Listen | RSN Affiliates
Live Stats: Click here

Arkansas
Head Coach: Mike Neighbors
Record at Arkansas: 147-107 (8th season)
Career Record: 245-148 (12th)
Leading Scorer: Izzy Higginbottom (24.3 PPG)
Leading Rebounder: Vera Ojenuwa (6.9 RPG)

Mississippi State
Head Coach: Sam Purcell
Record at Mississippi State: 61-30 (3rd season)
Career Record: Same
Leading Scorer: Jerkaila Jordan (16.5 PPG)
Leading Rebounder: Madina Okot (9.2 RPG)

Game Notes

  • This is the 46th all-time meeting between Mississippi State and Arkansas. The Bulldogs lead it 24-21. The Razorbacks and Mississippi State last met on Jan. 11, 2024 in Fayetteville, where the Bulldogs escaped with a 66-63 victory.
  • Izzy Higginbottom has cemented herself as one of the best scorers in the NCAA through the first 24 games and ranks No. 5 in the country and first in the SEC in points per game (24.3) ahead of Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes (22.1). She has been the Hogs’ leading scorer in 19 games (Fairfield, Little Rock, UTA, UCLA, ORU, OSU, BGSU, BC, TTU, LIB, Troy, UCA, LSU, Texas, AUB, TEN, KEN, A&M, FLA) this season
  • She also leads the team and ranks second in the SEC in FT%, going 172-191 (.901) from the charity stripe. Higginbottom leads the SEC and ranks second in the NCAA in FTA (191) and leads the SEC and ranks No. 2 in the NCAA with 172 FTM. She’s been perfect from the line in nine games (ETA&M, LR, UCLA, BGSU, SEMO, LU, Troy, LSU, VAN, FLA) this season.
  • In total points, Higginbottom leads the NCAA with 583.
  • 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 had 19 straight games in double figures and is the first Hog to accomplish the feat since Amber Ramirez did it in 2021-22. The streak ended after Higginbottom scored just five points against No. 19 Alabama on Jan. 19.
  • Higginbottom is tied for the most 25+ point games in the NCAA (13 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.
  • Against No. 11 Kentucky, Higginbottom scored 32 points on the Wildcats and followed it up with a 33-point performance against Texas A&M on Jan. 30.
  • Higginbottom finally broke the 40-point mark on Feb. 3 against Florida and is one of 13 players in the NCAA to score at least 40 points this season
  • Sophomore guard Kiki Smith has established herself as a consistent scoring threat for Arkansas. The Topeka, Kan. native has 10+ points in 11 of 21 games and has started every appearance 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. Against Alabama, Smith scored a season and game high 23 points, going 8-15 from FG and 4-9 from 3.
  • Before being sidelined with an ankle injury, Kiki ranked ninth in the SEC and 90th in the NCAA with 47 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.
  • Vera Ojenuwa ranks No. 9 in the SEC with 166 rebounds.
  • 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. Rogers made her basketball debut on Feb. 3 against Florida.

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

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