Collen Razorbacks host Kansas State
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The University of Arkansas women’s basketball team hosts Kansas State in non-conference action Wednesday in Bud Walton Arena.
The Razorbacks (4-1) host the Wildcats (2-3) in a 7 p.m. contest, just the second home event for Arkansas.
“We’re coming off a great week,” Arkansas head coach Tom Collen said. “We played one of the best halves of basketball all season against Western Kentucky. I thought we really improved as a team last week. We played with some hunger and really played well defensively. We need to carry that intensity forward and continue to improve with each game.”
Arkansas has played five games, four away from home, and most recently went 2-0 with wins over Iona and Western Kentucky in Cancun, Mexico. The Razorbacks have had four different leading scorers in the five games with different athletes leading the team throughout the year.
Kansas State opened with back-to-back losses to Indiana State and Arkansas State in overtime before getting a seven-point win over Washington State. The Wildcats lost at Creighton in the first road game but got a three-point road win at BYU in their most recent contest.
The Wildcats are led by Ashley Sweat averaging 17.0 ppg and 7.2 rpg this year. Kari Kincaid (12.0 ppg/3.0 rpg) and Brittany Chambers (11.4/2.4) round out the double figure scoring for Kansas State.
Razorback senior Charity Ford has emerged as an early season leader for Arkansas. Ford has been Arkansas’ leading scorer in two games with a career-best 24 points at Southern Methodist in the second game of the year.
“We have really started coming together as a team,” Ford said. “We got down last week (against Iona) and had to fight to come together to get the win. We’re working hard as a team and preparing well each week.”
Sophomore Lyndsay Harris echoed some of those thoughts. Harris poured in a career-best 26 points in the Iona win including eight three-pointers in the come-from-behind victory.
“We’re doing whatever it takes to win,” Harris said. “We’ve had great energy and poise and we are working to continue to bring that to every game.”
In addition to Ford and Harris, Arkansas has gotten standout performances from freshmen Sarah Watkins and Dominique Robinson along with sophomore C’eira Ricketts.
“C’eira has done a great job of playing her role,” Collen said. “She’s been shooting the ball well and playing really good defense. She improves with every game and finds ways to help the team.
“Our schedule just gets tougher and tougher,” Collen continued. “Kansas State is a great offensive team and we lost up there last year so we’re looking forward to the rematch. Then we get OU. They are a great team and it’s on their home floor.”
The Razorbacks tip at 7 p.m. with Kansas State before a Saturday afternoon game at 2 p.m. at Oklahoma. The Razorback Foundation is sponsoring a bus trip to OU. For more information contact Jessica Dorrell in the Razorback Foundation at 479-575-7141.
