FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas faces Iowa State in the women’s version of the Big 12/SEC Challenge, the Southeastern Conference announced today.
This is the fifth season of the conference challenge and Arkansas has a 2-2 record in the event. The match up with the Cyclones is the first since 1980 and just the third in program history.
Arkansas picked up a 56-39 win over Iowa State in Fayetteville in 1979, and the Cyclones got the 71-60 win in Ames in 1980.
Iowa State returns honorable mention All-American junior Bridget Carleton this season. Carleton is a two-time All-Big 12 first-team selection and leads what should be a good 3-point shooting team this season.
Arkansas counters by returning four starters including the team’s leading scorer in Malica Monk.
The Razorback roster is bolstered by the addition of two redshirt players in Chelsea Dungee and A’Tyanna Gaulden as well as four newcomers this season. Arkansas’ other returning starters include Bailey Zimmerman, Jailyn Mason, and Kiara Williams.
The inaugural challenge was held in 2014 in Little Rock, Arkansas, and featured a top 5 showdown with No. 3 Texas squaring off against No. 4 Texas A&M.
Oklahoma and Arkansas, who were both receiving votes, played in the second game. The conferences split the Challenge with the two games decided by a total of nine points.
The 2015 version was contested in Oklahoma City with the opponents reversed as No. 5 Texas played Arkansas while No. 17 Oklahoma competed against No. 18 Texas A&M. Each league again claimed a win.
In 2016, the SEC edged the Big 12, 6-4, in the first 10-game slate, while in 2017 the conferences split 5-5.
2018 SEC/Big 12 Women’s Basketball Challenge Matchups
Thursday, November 29
Kansas at LSU
TCU at Ole Miss
Sunday, December 2
Baylor at South Carolina
Arkansas at Iowa State
Vanderbilt at K-State
Oklahoma at Auburn
Tennessee at Oklahoma State
Mississippi State at Texas
Texas Tech at Florida
Missouri at West Virginia
