Razorbacks Travel To Missouri State For Road Test

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The University of Arkansas women’s basketball team travels to Springfield, Missouri, for its second true road game of the season at Missouri State on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. in JQH Arena.

Arkansas (9-0) remained undefeated with a 68-50 win over Butler on Wednesday night. Jessica Jackson led four players in double figures with 19 points, her ninth straight game in double figures. Keiryn Swenson added 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range. Devin Cosper finished with a season-high 13 points and Malica Monk added 11 in the win.

The Razorbacks shot 49.0 percent from the floor and was 6-of-12 from 3-point range and also won the rebounding battle, 34-23, against the Bulldogs. They opened the game on a 10-0 run and never trailed in the contest.

Missouri State (2-6) returns eight players from last year’s team that finished 24-10, won the Missouri Valley Conference tournament championship and advanced to the 14th NCAA Tournament in school history. The Lady Bears are the Razorbacks’ lone nonconference opponent that participated in the NCAA Tournament last year.

The Opponent
Arkansas will face Missouri State for the fourth consecutive season and the 29th time in school history. Arkansas leads the all-time series 21-7, including 10-3 in games played in Springfield. Missouri State won last year’s meeting 69-54 in Fayetteville, while Arkansas has won each of the last two meetings in Springfield.

Missouri State went 24-10 this past season, including 10-4 at home, finished second in the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season standings and defeated regular-season champion Northern Iowa in the tournament final. The Lady Bears fell to Texas A&M in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

With eight returners from that team, Missouri State was picked to finished third in the MVC preseason poll. The Lady Bears are off to a 2-6 start with a road win at Kansas. Missouri State lost their only previous home game, falling to Little Rock 58-47. The two teams also share a common opponent in Memphis. Arkansas defeated Memphis 91-61 on a neutral floor, while Missouri State lost to Memphis 69-60 on the road.

Liza Fruendt leads the team in scoring, averaging 14.8 points per game. She also leads the team in 3-pointers made, shooting 33.3 percent (14-of-42) from behind the arc, and free throws made, shooting 85.7 percent (30-of-35) from the line. Aubrey Buckley is second the team in scoring, averaging 8.4 point per game, and leads the team in rebounding, averaging 4.4 rebounds per game.

Notable
• Arkansas is one of three remaining undefeated teams in the SEC and one of 18 remaining undefeated teams in NCAA Division I. The other undefeated SEC teams are Mississippi State (8-0) and Alabama (7-0).
• Arkansas is 8-17 in road games, including 5-4 in nonconference road games, under head coach Jimmy Dykes. Arkansas defeated Tulsa 57-50 in its lone road game this season.
• Arkansas is looking to avenge its third loss from last season, having already avenged losses to Tulsa and Butler.
• Arkansas has used the same starting five for each of the first nine games: Malica Monk, Jailyn Mason, Jessica Jackson, Bailey Zimmerman and Alecia Cooley.
• Jessica Jackson has scored in double figures in each of the first nine games this season and averages a team-leading 16.7 points per game, which ranks seventh in the SEC. She has also led or tied for the team lead in scoring in eight of nine games this season.
• Keiryn Swenson scored 12 first-half points as part of her 15-point scoring effort against Butler. It was her first career game with double figures in the first half.
• Arkansas ranks sixth in the SEC and 41st nationally in field-goal percentage, shooting 45.4 percent, and second in the SEC and 20th nationally in 3-point field-goal percentage, shooting 39.1 percent.
• Arkansas shot 49.0 percent from the floor against Butler, its fifth game to shoot 45 percent or better 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 has won the rebounding battle in eight of the first nine games this season and ranks second in the SEC, and 14th nationally, in rebound margin, outrebounding opponents by 12.0 rebounds per game.
• Arkansas is off to a 9-0 start for the first time under head coach Jimmy Dykes and the first time since the 2013-14 season, when the Razorbacks won each of its first 13 games, completing a 13-0 nonconference in the regular season.

Quotable – Arkansas Head Coach Jimmy Dykes
“We’re taking on a Missouri State team that went to the NCAA Tournament last year. They still know how to win and we know what we’re up against. It’s interesting that it’s only their second home game of the season up there. That’s a community that really embraces that program, so there will be 4,000 or 5,000 fans, I’m sure, and I hope a lot of Razorbacks fans make the trip as well.”

Quotable II – Arkansas Head Coach Jimmy Dykes
“We talk about being 9-0 is great, but the more wins and the longer that zero stays beside our name, the bigger the target gets on our jersey. I’m very pleased with how young we are that they continue to stay humble and hungry. We talk about being undefeated. We’re still far from our ultimate goals of what we want to do, but at least we’re going down the right path.”

Looking Ahead
Arkansas closes out nonconference plays with three straight home games against Northwestern State (Dec. 18), Oral Roberts (Dec. 21) and Houston Baptist (Dec. 28). Arkansas travels to Ole Miss for its SEC opener on New Year’s Day and plays Mississippi State on Jan. 5 in its SEC home opener.

To order tickets for the 2016-17 season, click here or call the Razorback Ticket Center at 800-982-HOGS (4647) or 479-575-5151.

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