Allen surgery set for Thursday

FAYETTEVILLE – Junior post player Danielle Allen will undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair torn ligaments in her left knee, University of Arkansas women’s basketball coach Susie Gardner announced today. “This has been a long, tough season for Danielle,” Gardner said. “But I know that she will battle and fight through this just like she has with each challenge she’s faced in her life. We’re looking forward to Danielle returning to the court with us this fall.” The former starting high post for the Lady Razorbacks missed the fall semester with the birth of her son, Caden, and returned to the team at midterm. Allen played in two games before suffering a foot injury that sidelined her for four games in the early Southeastern Conference season. Cleared to play after the Vanderbilt game in mid-January, Allen returned to action against Mississippi State at home. She scored her season highs of 12 points with seven rebounds coming off the bench at South Carolina. Playing five straight SEC games, Allen suffered her season-ending injury in practice before the LSU game at Baton Rouge. Last year, Allen averaged 9.0 ppg and 5.4 rpg as one of only two players to start all 31 games during the 2004-05 season. Allen is one of three players who started last year for Arkansas that missed significant portions of the 2005-06 season, and all three ended the season on the bench with injury. The Lady’Backs lost their leading scorer from last season, Sarah Pfeifer, to a preseason ACL injury in the Red-White Game. Point guard Kristin Peoples played only 13 games this season due to a back injury. Peoples graduates this spring and will not return, while Pfeifer is back as a fifth-year senior next year. Arkansas, 13-15, enters the off-season with four signees from the early period in November. WBCA honorable mention all-American Tanisha Smith, a 6-1 swing forward from Lincoln Prep in Kansas City, Mo., received the most attention with her recent high school honors. Fort Smith Northside guard Kendra Roberts plays for the Arkansas Class AAAAA title this coming weekend. Arlington, Texas, guard Charity Ford of Seguin High and Byhalia, Miss., guard-forward Ashley Wilson each saw their teams win district titles and advance to their respective state tournaments. National signing date is next for the Lady Razorbacks on Wednesday, April 12.