Preview – 21/22 Razorbacks Close Out Home Non-Conference Schedule, Host Arkansas State

FAYETTEVILLE – The No. 21/22 Arkansas women’s basketball team (11-0) will host in-state foe Arkansas State on Sunday, Dec. 11 for a 3 p.m. tipoff. This game will conclude Arkansas’ non-conference slate at home before the Razorbacks hit the road for three more games next weekend prior to the commencement of SEC play. Sunday’s game will be the first time an Arkansas State team will play at Bud Walton Arena, as those previous matchups before the 42-year ban was ordered took place in Barnhill Arena.

GAME INFORMATION
Date: Sunday, Dec. 11
Time: 3 p.m.
Opponent: Arkansas State
Location: Bud Walton Arena
Watch: SECN
Listen: Razorback Sports Network from Learfield
Promotions:

• Kids 12 and under get in free with a paying adult ($10 day of game tickets)
• Fans are encouraged to wear their tacky holiday sweaters/shirts
• Signature Sunday: team will be available postgame for autographs
• Fans will have the opportunity to get their pictures taken with the Razorback mascots

STORYLINES

• Arkansas women’s basketball is a nationally ranked team, coming in at No. 21in the week five AP Poll and No. 22 in the WBCA Coaches Poll, which is the first time the program has been ranked since the 2020-21 season
• The Razorbacks are 11-0, which continues to be the best start in the Mike Neighbors era at Arkansas and best for the program since 2013 (when that team started the year 13-0)
• Following a few upsets on Thursday, Arkansas is now one of 13 remaining undefeated teams in the country
• The team’s 11 wins is tied with Virginia for the most in the country
• Arkansas is one of three unbeaten teams in the SEC (South Carolina and LSU the other two)
• For just the fourth time in program history, the Razorbacks have started a season 11-0
• With a win, Arkansas will begin the year 12-0 for the first time since 2013 and third time in program history
• Sunday’s game against Arkansas State wraps up the Razorbacks’ four-game homestand. Arkansas is currently on a six-game winning streak at home
• Arkansas is looking to improve to 11-0 against in-state schools since the 40+-year ban was lifted in 2020
• The Razorbacks scored a season-low 63 points in their 63-50 win over Lamar, but was locked in on defense to hold the Cardinals to just 17 points on 17.2 percent shooting from the field in the second half
• The team has continued to show how any player one through five on the court can get hot at any minute, as four players are averaging double-digits in scoring
• Samara Spencer is the team’s leading scorer with 15.5 points per game. She has also racked up 49 assists, with her 4.5 assists per game being the fifth most in the SEC
• Saylor Poffenbarger attacks the glass like nobody’s business, leading the team with 8.0 rebounds per game with three 10+ rebound games. She also leads the team in blocks (14)
• Erynn Barnum and Makayla Daniels tie for the most steals on the team with 19. Both are averaging double digits in scoring with 14.8 points and 13.3 points per game, respectively
• Barnum’s field goal percentage continues to lead the SEC at .667
• Chrissy Carr is the fourth Razorback in double digits in scoring with 13.3 points per game, while leading the team with 28 3-pointers. She is one of the best outside shooters in the SEC, second in both 3-pointers per game (2.55) and 3-point percentage (.346)
• Arkansas leads the SEC in defensive rebounding percentage, which is probably the most impressive stat the team leads the league in, holding a .766 percentage
• The team is also leading the SEC in 3-pointers per game (8.3), 3-point attempts per game (26.5) and free throw attempts per game (28.45)
• Nobody in the country gets to the free throw line like the Razorbacks, as the team is leading the country in free throw attempts per game
• Neighbors’ teams in the past few years have not been known for rebounding the ball effectively, but that has changed, as the Razorbacks have outrebounded opponents in 10 of 11 games. The team’s 33.5 defensive rebounds per game is the third most in the country

SCOUTING ARKANSAS STATE

• The Red Wolves are an even 4-4 coming into Sunday’s game in Fayetteville
• Arkansas State has won four of their last six games, highlighted by dropping 100 points at McNeese State (W, 102-83) and taking down Utah State (W, 63-57)
• Mizzou transfer Izzy Higginbottom leads the Red Wolves with 15.4 points per game, along with 37 assists and 18 steals
• Leilani Augmon pulls down 8.0 rebounds per game to lead the team
• Arkansas State was projected to finish ninth in the Sun Belt among 14 teams
• Keya Patton was picked to the Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team, while Lauryn Pendleton was chosen to the Third Team. Last season, Patton led the team with 14.3 points per game and Pendleton tallied 11.3 points per game along with 37 assists and 31 stelas
• The Red Wolves finished last season 12-16, 5-9 in the Sun Belt. Arkansas State lost to Coastal Carolina in the first round of the Sun Belt Tournament, 91-76
• Head coach Destinee Rogers assumed the helm midway through the year last season, serving as interim coach in December before officially taking over in the final eight games of the 2021-22 season

• Sunday’s game will be the 10th of the series
• Arkansas has the slight edge in the series at 6-3
• The Razorbacks are 3-0 against the Red Wolves inside Barnhill Arena
• In last year’s game, Arkansas won in Jonesboro, 94-71. Daniels led the team with 22 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while Spencer had 16 points off the bench
• Prior to last year’s meeting, the two teams met in the WNIT in 2005, and Arkansas lost in Jonesboro, 98-84. The game that year was the first time the two teams played since 1983

• Arkansas faced its toughest task thus far on Thursday, as the team defeated Lamar, 63-50, behind a season-low number in points
• The Razorbacks trailed 33-31 at halftime, the first time the team was behind at halftime this year, but was locked in on defense in the second half to hold the Cardinals to 17 points on 17.2 percent shooting in the second half
• The newcomers, Carr and Poffenbarger, made big shots down the stretch for the Razorbacks
• Carr led the game with 18 points off four 3-pointers
• Poffenbarger earned her second consecutive double-double with a career-high 17 points and 12 rebounds along with five assists, three blocks and two steals
• Spencer tallied 17 points and shot 16 free throws. She also added four assists
• Arkansas outrebounded its opponent for the 10th time this season with the slight edge, 37-36

The Razorbacks will finish the non-conference slate away from home, as the team will kick off its road trip in Omaha, Nebraska to face Creighton. The game is set for a 1 p.m. tipoff with coverage of the game being broadcast on FloSports.

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.