Razorbacks continue five game road swing

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The University of Arkansas women's basketball team continues its five-game road swing at ORU Monday as the 2012-13 season continues.

Arkansas, 2-0 overall, opened the year with wins over Jackson State and at Tulsa. They face ORU before traveling to Hawai'i to face Oklahoma, Hawai'i and Oregon before returning to Bud Walton Arena.

Arkansas has been a tough team to scout in the first two games with several different players stepping up to led the Razorbacks to the wins.  Most recently, junior Keira Peak rallied to post her first career double-double at Tulsa in an overtime win.

"We have had a lot of different players step up," said Arkansas head coach Tom Collen.  "We have a lot of parts this year and it's a matter of figuring out who will step up and score consistently.  I would like to think that a month into this season, we have eight players that opponents have to guard."

ORU enters the game after a 2-0 start with wins over Tulsa and Arkansas-Little Rock last week.  Senior Kevi Luper was named Southland Conference Player of the Week for her 23-point performance in ORU's season opening victory over Tulsa, and she is the only Southland Conference player on the Naismith Trophy Early Season Watch List.

Arkansas has been plagued by a scoring droughts in the first two games - something that could be expected with the new look on the court for the Razorbacks this season.

"I attribute that to some nerves," Collen said.  "At Tulsa, I recognized that I was getting frustrated in the game and that the team was getting frustrated and I took a time out and just settled everyone down.  I think we can work through some of those until we find out consistency."

Arkansas enters this game with a 16-8 series advantage over ORU.  The last win for the Razorbacks was a 65-37 victory in 2001 in Fayetteville.  Despite Arkansas' recent success over the Golden Eagles, Collen knows that ORU will not be an easy task for the Razorbacks.

"This will be another competitive game," Collen said.  "We have to have players continue to step up and make plays.  ORU is senior-laden and we can't take that for granted."

Arkansas faces ORU Monday night and leaves early Tuesday morning for a three-game tournament Friday-Sunday in Hawai'i.