Basketball (W)

Razorbacks Wrap Up Road Swing In Tulsa

November 29, 2016

TULSA, Okla. – The University of Arkansas women’s basketball team travels to Tulsa for its first true road game of the season on Wednesday night. The Razorbacks (6-0), coming off a Nugget Classic tournament title in Reno, Nevada, will face the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (2-4) with tip-off set for 7 p.m. on Cox Sports Television.

Arkansas defeated Memphis 91-61 and Navy 70-67 on the way to the tournament title and a 6-0 start, which matches the program’s best start under head coach Jimmy Dykes. Jessica Jackson, who earned tournament MVP honors, has scored in double figures in every game this season and leads the team in scoring averaging 15.8 points per game.

Arkansas is averaging 78.8 points per game and ranks second in the SEC in both field-goal percentage (48.7 percent) and 3-point field goal percentage (40.0), both of which rank top 20 nationally. The Razorbacks also rank fourth in the SEC and 15th nationally in rebounding margin, outrebounding opponents by 13.3 rebounds per game.

Tulsa is coming off a 1-1 weekend at the UNM Thanksgiving Tournament, defeating New Mexico 67-64 and falling to BYU 71-56 in the tournament championship game.

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The Opponent

Arkansas will face Tulsa for the 23rd time in school history, winning five of the last six meetings dating back to the 2005-06 season. The teams met this past season in Fayetteville, with Tulsa winning 74-67. Arkansas is also 10-1 in games played in Tulsa, winning each of the last 10 meetings since losing the teams’ first-ever meeting during the 1976-77 season. The teams last met in Tulsa during the 2014-15 season, with Arkansas winning 64-53.

Tulsa is one of two AAC opponents, along with Memphis on Arkansas’ schedule. Arkansas defeated Memphis 91-61 at the Nugget Classic in Reno, Nevada, this past weekend. Arkansas and Tulsa have also faced one common opponent in South Dakota. Arkansas defeated South Dakota 70-67 in Fayetteville, while Tulsa fell to South Dakota 71-68 in Tulsa.

Erika Wakefield leads Tulsa in scoring, averaging 13.8 points per game. She has scored in double figures in four of the first six games this season, including a season-high 21 points in their season opener at UMKC.

Notable

  • Arkansas is one of five remaining undefeated teams in the SEC and one of 29 remaining undefeated teams in NCAA Division I. The other undefeated SEC teams are No. 6 Mississippi State (7-0), Alabama (5-0), No. 3 South Carolina (5-0) and No. 25 Texas A&M (5-0).
  • Arkansas travels to Tulsa for its first true road game of the season. Arkansas is 7-17 in road games, including 4-4 in nonconference road games, under head coach Jimmy Dykes.
  • Tulsa head coach Matilda Mossman held the same position at Arkansas from 1981-84, posting a 67-27 record for a .713 winning percentage, the best mark in school history. She also led Arkansas to the AIAW Sweet 16 in her first season (1981-82).
  • Arkansas has used the same starting five for each of the first six games: Malica Monk, Jailyn Mason, Jessica Jackson, Bailey Zimmerman and Alecia Cooley.
  • Jailyn Mason was named SEC Freshman of the Week after her performance in the Nugget Classic against Memphis and Navy.
  • Jessica Jackson has scored in double figures in each of the first six games this season. She is averaging a team-best 15.8 points per game, which also ranks 12th in the SEC.
  • Arkansas is off to a 6-0 start for the second time in the three seasons under head coach Jimmy Dykes. The Razorbacks also won the first six games to start the 2014-15 season, when they advanced to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.
  • Arkansas is seeking its first 7-0 start since the 2013-14 season, when the Razorbacks won each of its first 13 games, completing a 13-0 nonconference in the regular season.
  • Arkansas has led for 223:43 of 240:00 minutes played this season. Arkansas has been tied for just 6:06 and has trailed for just 10:11.

Quotable – From Coach Jimmy Dykes

“I feel like we have two or three quality wins that maybe last year’s team wouldn’t have gotten. I told our ball club again this morning that this week is the biggest week we have had so far this season. Playing at Tulsa, they’re a team that’s much better than their 2-4 record. They beat us last year. There’s a bit of a rivalry right now between us and Tulsa, so I’m sure we will get their best shot.”

Quotable II – From Coach Jimmy Dykes

“We continue to have some good wins and we haven’t played our best. It encourages us as a staff to see all the mistakes that we continue to make but still beat good teams like South Dakota and Navy, on a neutral floor.”

Looking Ahead

Arkansas returns home for an SEC/Big 12 Challenge matchup with Texas Tech on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. from Bud Walton Arena, and the game will be televised on the SEC Network. Arkansas is 1-1 all-time in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge, defeating Oklahoma in 2014-15 and falling to No. 5 Texas in 2015-16.

Arkansas also plays host to Butler on Wednesday, Dec. 7.

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. Fans can email the Razorback Ticket Center at raztk@uark.edu.

For more information on Arkansas women’s basketball, follow @RazorbackWBB on Twitter.

 

 

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