Arkansas Visits Vanderbilt For Final Road Game

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas women’s basketball team faces Vanderbilt in its final road game of the regular season on Thursday night at 7 p.m. in Memorial Gymnasium.

Arkansas (13-14, 2-12 SEC) will be going for the season sweep of Vanderbilt, having defeated the Commodores 59-56 in their earlier meeting in Fayetteville in mid-January.

Malica Monk scored the game-tying and game-winning points at the free-throw line and Devin Cosper sealed the win with two more free throws, as Arkansas finished the game on a 6-0 run and held Vanderbilt without a basket for the final 2:58 of the game.

Jessica Jackson continues to lead the team in scoring and rebounding and ranks 13th in the SEC in scoring, averaging 15.0 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game. She has scored in double figures in four straight games, including a team-leading 18 points in a road contest at Tennessee this past Sunday.

Monk added 11 points for her 12th game in double figures this season. She ranks second on the team in scoring (9.2 points per game) and also leads the team and ranks third in the SEC in steals (2.3 per game).

Vanderbilt (13-14, 3-11 SEC) has won its last two home games and two of its last three games overall, defeating LSU and Ole Miss.

Rachel Bell leads the Commodores in scoring, averaging 10.6 points per game. She is also one of four players with 30 or more 3-point field goals made this season. As a team, Vanderbilt leads the SEC in 3-point field goals made (7.2 per game) and 3-point field-goal percentage (39.5 percent). Its 3-point field-goal percentage also ranks third in the nation.

The Opponent
Arkansas faces Vanderbilt for the second time this season, the first time the two teams have met twice in the regular season since the 2006-07 season. Arkansas has won the last two meetings, both in Fayetteville, by a combined four points, including a 59-56 win earlier this year.

Notable
• Arkansas ranks fourth in the SEC in scoring defense (59.5 points per game) and sixth in the SEC in field-goal percentage defense (38.1 percent).
• Jessica Jackson has scored in double figures in four straight games, leading the team in scoring in three of those games, including 24 points against Kentucky.
• Malica Monk ranks third in the SEC in steals (2.3 per game). She had a career-high six steals against Florida and matched that career high with six steals against Kentucky.
• Arkansas has shot 45 percent or better in nine 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 16-1 when shooting 45 percent or better under head coach Jimmy Dykes.
• Arkansas has held opponents under 30 percent shooting in six games this season: Sam Houston State (26.9), Louisiana-Monroe (22.1), Tulsa (29.7), Northwestern State (25.0), Houston Baptist (24.1) and LSU (28.8).
• Arkansas has had seven different players score in double figures during the first half of games this season: Jessica Jackson (eight times), Alecia Cooley (two times) Malica Monk (two times), Devin Cosper, Jailyn Mason, Keiryn Swenson and Aaliyah Wilson.

Looking Ahead
Arkansas hosts Auburn for Senior Day and its final game of the regular season on Sunday. The SEC Tournament begins March 1 in Greenville, South Carolina.

For tickets call the Razorback Ticket Center at 800-982-HOGS (4647) or 479-575-5151. For more information on Arkansas women’s basketball, follow @RazorbackWBB on Twitter.