Razorbacks Return Home To Host Vanderbilt

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – After a week-long road trip to Texas A&M and Alabama, the University of Arkansas women’s basketball team returns home for four of its next five games, beginning with Vanderbilt on Thursday night at 7 p.m. in Bud Walton Arena.

Behind a strong first half, Arkansas (12-6, 1-4 SEC) snapped a four-game losing streak to begin Southeastern Conference play, defeating Alabama, 68-50, in Tuscaloosa this past Sunday. The Razorbacks also matched last year’s overall win total with that victory.

Five Arkansas players finished in double figures, led by Jailyn Mason, the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week, who scored 13 of her game-high 15 points in the first quarter. The honor is the second of the season for Mason, who averages 7.8 points per game and ranks fourth in the SEC in assists to turnover ratio (2.4 assists/turnover). She is 11th in the league in assists (3.6 per game).

Defensively, Arkansas ranks fourth in the SEC and 38th in the nation in scoring defense, holding opponent to 57.6 points per game. The Razorbacks also rank fifth in the SEC in field-goal percentage defense (.369) and three-point field-goal percentage defense (.288).

Under first-year head coach Stephanie Wilson, Vanderbilt (10-8, 0-5 SEC) started the season 10-1, including a nonconference win over Duke, before losing its last seven games.

The Commodores are paced by three players in double figures, led by Rachel Bell, who averages 12.2 points per game. They also rank among the SEC and national leaders in three-point shooting, making 7.3 three points per game and going 40.5 percent from behind the arc. Vanderbilt also shoots well from the free throw line making 74.4 percent of their bonus shots.

The Opponent
Arkansas won last year’s only meeting in dramatic fashion, as Malica Monk scored a game-winning lay-up at the buzzer for the 57-56 win in Fayetteville. It was the program’s first win over the Commodores since the 2011-12 season.

Vanderbilt has won three of the last four meetings and holds an 8-6 advantage in games played in Fayetteville.

Picked to finish ninth in the SEC preseason coaches’ poll, Vanderbilt is 10-8 overall and 0-5 in SEC play. And after starting the season 10-1, the Commodores have lost seven straight games, including its first two SEC road games at Texas A&M (77-72) and at Georgia (70-68).

Vanderbilt leads the SEC and ranks third in the nation three-point field-goal percentage (40.5 percent) and also leads the SEC and ranks 60th in the nation in three-point field goals per game (7.3). Vanderbilt is shooting 74.4 percent from the free-throw line, which ranks third in the SEC and 47th in the nation.

Rachel Bell (12.2 points per game) leads three players averaging in double figures, followed by Christa Reed (10.2 ppg) and Kayla Overbeck (10.1 ppg). Bell is shooting 41.2 percent from 3-point range and Reed is shooting 44.6 percent from 3-point range.

Notable
• Arkansas is 27-13 in home games under head coach Jimmy Dykes. That mark includes an 8-3 record this season and a 10-8 record in conference home games.
• Arkansas has shot 45 percent or better in eight games this season. Arkansas shot 45 percent or better twice all of last season (30 games) and six times all of 2014-15 (32 games). Arkansas is now 16-0 when shooting 45 percent or better under head coach Jimmy Dykes.
• Arkansas has won the rebounding battle in 13 of 18 games this season, going 11-2 in those games and improving to 34-9 when winning the rebounding battle under head coach Jimmy Dykes.
• Arkansas has had six different players score in double figures in the first half of games this season: Jessica Jackson (five times), Malica Monk (two times), Keiryn Swenson (two times), Alecia Cooley, Devin Cosper, and most recently, Jailyn Mason who scored 13 first-quarter points against Alabama this past Sunday.
• The 29 first-quarter points against Alabama were the most in school history, while the three second-quarter points allowed were the fewest allowed in any quarter in school history.
• Aaliyah Wilson scored a career-high 20 points against Texas A&M, her first career 20-point game and her third game in double figures this season. She became the third different Arkansas player to score 20 or more points in a game this season, joining Jessica Jackson, who has four 20-point games, and Keiryn Swenson.
• Arkansas finished with an 11-2 nonconference regular-season record, the best under head coach Jimmy Dykes and the best since a 13-0 record during the 2013-14 season.

Looking Ahead
Nearing the midway point of SEC play, Arkansas continues play at home, hosting Missouri on Sunday at 6 p.m. on the SEC Network. After a road game at LSU on Jan. 29, Arkansas returns home for back-to-back home games against Georgia (Feb. 2) and No. 5 South Carolina (Feb. 25).

Arkansas will also host Kentucky on Feb. 16 and Auburn on Feb. 26.

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.

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