Miss State up first for Lady'Backs at SEC Tournament

FAYETTEVILLE – The Arkansas Lady Razorbacks open the 2005 Southeastern Conference Women’s Basketball tournament with a familiar foe – the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs. The Lady’Backs face Miss State in the final game of the opening day of the tournament set for the Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, SC. Tipoff is 8:15 central time on Thursday, March 3, and will be carried live on Fox Sports Net. “This is an exciting time of year because now, everyone is 0-0 heading into the tournament,” UA head coach Susie Gardner said. It will be late night with the Lady’Backs as Arkansas’ 11th seed puts them in the final game of the evening every day of the tournament. If Arkansas advances Thursday over Miss State, the Lady’Backs take on third-seed Vanderbilt also at 8:15 p.m. A win over Vandy moves Arkansas to the late game semifinal, again at 8:15 p.m. Arkansas met Miss State last year in the opening round of the SEC Tournament at Nashville, losing a thriller, 79-74. This season, Arkansas defeated Miss State at Fayetteville in the teams’ only meeting, 83-71, on Jan. 16.