Arkansas qualifies eight for final day of NCAA Indoor Championship

Scoring opportunities resulted in nine more points for Arkansas on the second day of the NCAA Indoor Championships, led by a silver medal performance by the distance medley relay.

Meanwhile, the Razorbacks totaled eight qualifiers for Saturday’s final day. USC followed with four while three were attained by Oregon, Texas, BYU and LSU.

Currently, through eight scored finals, Arkansas is tied for ninth place with five other teams at 10 points each. Texas A&M leads with 26 while LSU and Georgia are tied at 23.

“We advanced really well across the board,” said women’s coach Lance Harter. “A couple of the finals didn’t go to perfection, but at a national championship that’s hard to dial in to. We had some nice scoring today in the distance medley, getting second to a BYU team that had to run its legs off to get ahead of us.

“In qualifying we had some pleasant surprises. We have a lot of opportunities tomorrow, and if we can cash in on those, I think we can earn a spot on the podium.”

Saturday’s women session begins at 5 p.m. with the triple jump while running events starts at 6 p.m.

Racing with a foursome of Lauren Gregory (3:20.01), Kethlin Campbell (52.69), Quinn Owen (2:07.43), and Krissy Gear (4:37.07) the Razorbacks clocked a time of 10:57.19, which matched the sixth best time in school history. BYU won the race in 10:52.96, the top collegiate time this season.

Another point was added to the team total in the pole vault with Bailee McCorkle placing eighth as she cleared a season best of 14-3 ½ (4.36) while Nastassja Campbell finished ninth at 13-11 ¾ (4.26).

G’Auna Edwards placed ninth in the long jump with a mark of 20-10 ½ (6.36), just an inch and a half out of eighth place. Tara Davis of Texas won the event with a collegiate record of 22-9 (6.93) to better career best leaps by Florida’s Claire Bryant (21-11 ¾) and Texas A&M’s Tyra Gittens (21-11), who claimed the high jump with a 6-2 ¾ (1.90) clearance.

A third ninth place finish for Arkansas came in the 5,000m with Katie Izzo, who clocked 15:58.38. SEC champion Joyce Kimeli of Auburn won the race in 15:48.98.

In qualifying races, Arkansas advanced three milers to the final. Gear won the first prelim in 4:40.92 to earn an automatic spot. Kennedy Thomson led three Razorbacks in the second prelim with a career best of 4:38.88 and Gracie Hyde (4:39.04) joined her in making the final.

Despite running a faster time than the previous heat, a 4:39.29 by Isabel Van Camp did not advance to the final on time.

Daszay Freeman produced a career best of 8.05 to win her prelim heat in the 60m hurdles. Her time equals No. 3 on the UA all-time list, matching Taliyah Brooks.

Two of four Razorbacks in the 400m prelims advanced to the final. Career best times for Rosey Effiong and Tiana Wilson resulted in marks of 51.82 (No. 4 UA) and 52.34 (No. 7 UA) as they placed third and eighth overall. Paris Peoples (52.78) and Morgan Burks-Magee (53.43) finished 11th and 15th.

Jada Baylark equaled the school record of 7.15 in the 60m prelims, placing third in her heat behind USC’s Twanisha Terry (7.09) and Oregon’s Kemba Nelson (7.13). Baylark equaled the time Kiara Parker set in 2019 in taking down Veronica Campbell’s mark of 7.20 established in 2004.

Shafiqua Maloney placed third in her heat of the 800 with a 2:04.50 to advance to the final, finishing behind BYU’s Claire Seymore (2:03.97) and Laurie Barton of Clemson (2:04.07).

Arkansas also had a pair racing in the 200m prelims as Baylark (23.27) and Jayla Hollis (23.65) were 10th and 13th overall.

Notes on Hogs’ SEC Tournament-opening win over Mizzou

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — JD Notae has his best game at Arkansas, scoring 27 points, but none was bigger than his desperation bank shot in the lane with 1:19 left.

The shot gave the lead to the eighth-ranked Razorbacks to a 70-64 victory over Missouri in the SEC quarterfinal Friday night at Bridgestone Arena.

The Hogs, the SEC second seed, won their 12th straight against an SEC opponent and improves to 22-5. The Razorbacks also improve to 15-2 all-time when playing in the SEC quarterfinal. Mizzou, the seventh seed, falls to 16-9.

Notae single-handedly kept Arkansas in the game by scoring 15 of the Hogs’ 32 points in the first half.

In particular, he scored 12 points during a 16-0 run as the Razorbacks went from down 10 (Missouri’s largest lead of the game) to up six. Also, Ethan Henderson gave Arkansas a huge lift in the first half to spark a comeback.

The second half belonged to Justin Smith, who scored 13 of his 16 points in the period and he pulled down all eight of his rebounds in the frame.

Moses Moody was held in check by the Tigers, scoring just five points. However, he tied Smith with eight rebounds, had a blocked shot and he took five charges.

Overall, Arkansas took nine charges to off-set tying its season-high by committing 20 turnovers.

Davonte Davis scored 11 points with six rebounds and four assists.

Xavier Pinson led the Tigers with 12 points and Dru Smith added 11. Kobe Brown led all players with 11 rebounds.

Arkansas will play fourth-seed LSU in the SEC semifinals on Saturday (Mar. 13). Tipoff is set for approximately 2:30 pm and the game will be televised on ESPN.

FIRST HALF: Arkansas 32 – Missouri 33

• Arkansas started slowly, making just 3 of its first 11 shots, but were only down two (6-4) at the first media timeout and five (14-9) at the second media timeout.

• Ethan Henderson provided a lift on both ends of the floor and the Hogs went on a 1-0 run to tie the contest at 23-23 and force a Mizzou timeout at 5:43.

• Coming out of the timeout, JD Notae hit two deep 3’s from the top of the key to cap a 16-0 run (making seven straight shots) to lead 29-23. Jeremih Tilmon ended a 5:06 scoring drought for the Tigers with a jumper at 4:12.

• Javon Puckett made a 3-pointer with 49 seconds left to put the Tigers up one (33-32) which was the halftime score.

• Ethan Henderson finished the half with two dunks and two blocked shots.

• JD Notae was the Razorbacks leader, scoring 15 of the team’s 32 first half points.

• Arkansas ended up shooting 46.2% from the field despite the slow start.

SECOND HALF: Arkansas 38 – Missouri 31

• The lead bounced back and forth early in the second half, but Arkansas used a 6-0 run over 2:14 to take a 46-44 lead with 11:42 left. Arkansas pushed it to a 7-0 run after a Smith free throw before Xavier Pinson tied the game (47-47) with three free throws (10:16).

• Arkansas had a 13-1 run (including an 8-0) run to lead by 10 (60-50).

• Xavier Pinson ended the run with a 3-pointer but JD Notae came right back with a triple for another 10-point cushion (63-53) with 3:40 left.

• Parker Braun hit two free throws and a 3-pointer to get to within five (63-58). Then Kobe Brown made two free throws to get the Tigers to within three (63-60) with 1:49 left.

• Notae threw in a shot in the lane with 1:19 to end the Tiger run and give Arkansas a five-point cushion. Notae then blocked a shot on the other end.

• Jalen Tate put Arkansas up six (68-62) by making two free throws with 24 seconds left. Davonte Davis only made 2-of-4 at the free throw line inside the final 16 seconds, but it was enough to provide the 70-64 final.

Game notes

• Arkansas is 6-4 this year when trailing at the half. Arkansas has won each of the last two games, trailing at the half in both. Arkansas also trailed Missouri at the half in a win over then Mizzou on Feb. 13. Arkansas has won five games during its win streak when trailing at the half, including three of the last four.

• Arkansas wins the rubber match with Missouri and this was the first time the two teams have faced each other in the SEC Tournament. Arkansas leads the Tigers 30-26 in the all-time series and is 2-0 versus the Tigers on a neutral court.

• Arkansas is now 28-27 in the SEC Tournament and 15-2 in the quarterfinal round. The Hogs will be in the SEC semifinal for the 15th time and the fourth time over the last eight years.

• Since the start of February, Arkansas is 9-0 with six NCAA NET Quad 1 wins.

• Arkansas’ 12-game win streak versus SEC opponents ties the program record. The 1993-94 team won 12 straight versus SEC opponents to close the regular-season and by winning its first game in the SEC Tournament.

• Eric Musselman is 4-0 all-tie as a college head coach in Bridgestone Arena, 2-0 in the SEC Tournament, 8-3 overall in conference tournaments and improves to 15-7 all-time in the postseason.

• Arkansas’ starting lineup was Jalen Tate (G) – Davonte Davis (G) – Moses Moody (G) – Justin Smith (F) – Connor Vanover (F) for the ninth consecutive game. The lineup is 9-0.

• Arkansas won the opening tip. Arkansas is 14-2 when controlling the tip.

• Missouri’s Kobe Brown scored the game’s first points, layup at 19:22. Arkansas is 7-2 when the opponent scores first. Jalen Tate scored Arkansas’ first points, a jumper in the lane at 17:20.

• JD Notae and Vance Jackson Jr., were the first subs for Arkansas.

• Ethan Henderson provided a huge lift off the bench in the first half. He made both of his shots, both dunks. Of his eight field goals made this year, five are dunks. He added two blocked shots.

• JD Notae’s 27 points are the fourth-best total of his career. He scored a career-high 40 as a sophomore at Jacksonville, 30 as a freshman at Jacksonville and 29 in his second-to-last game as a Dolphin as a sophomore.

• Justin Smith was 6-of-7 from the field in the second half, including two key put-backs – one with 6:44 left to put the Hogs up six and the second with 5:36 left to give Arkansas an eight-point lead.

Musselman on slugging out 70-64 win in defensive battle

Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman with the media after “two good defensive teams” battled until the end in SEC Tournament on Friday night.

Notae on having big night in SEC Tournament despite being sick

Hogs’ guard JD Notae (27 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists) was throwing up before the game and at halftime, but still had huge game.

Tigers throttle Razorbacks’ men’s tennis, 5-2, on Friday evening

Arkansas won the doubles point in an SEC matchup with LSU on Friday night, but eventually fell, 5-2, at the Billingsley Tennis Center.

Action was moved inside to the Dills Indoor Courts after rain stopped outdoor play early in singles.

In doubles, the Razorbacks won the first three games on all three courts. Melvin Manuel and Adrien Burdet moved to 2-0 as a duo with a 6-3 win at the No. 2 spot.

Nico Rousset and Alex Reco won their fourth-straight as a pairing with a victory over Nick Watson and Boris Kozlov, 6-4. Rousset and Reco lead the Hogs with their seventh victory of the dual season.

Nico Rousset was first off the courts, dropping just one game in a 6-1, 6-0 route against Tom Pisane at the No. 3 position.

Rousset is now 8-4, matching Razorback teammate Adrien Burdet with a team-high eight dual season wins.

Reco and Paya battled after dropping their first sets to force a third on courts one and six, respectively. However, their Tiger opponents captured the wins in the deciding set.

The Razorbacks will be back at the Billingsley Tennis Center to face the 12th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies on Sunday.

First serve in Fayetteville is set for 1 p.m.

Davis: Notae’s shot to beat clock something they’ve seen

Arkansas’ Davonte Davis (11 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists) said JD Notae’s shot at the buzzer that fell in didn’t surprise teammates at all.

Razorbacks keep rolling with 17th straight win, downing South Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Arkansas hit two home runs, and pitcher Mary Haff struck out 10 in a 4-1 victory over South Carolina in the SEC opener at Carolina Softball Stadium on Friday night.

The Razorbacks (18-2, 1-0 SEC) added to the school record by winning their 17th straight game, and for the third straight year won the league opener against a ranked opponent.

With infielder Braxton Burnside and designated player Linnie Malkin’s home runs, the Razorbacks lead the SEC hitting 49 bombs this season, which is tied for ninth-most in a single-season in program history.

How it happened

Haff sizzled through the first three innings, facing two over the minimum and striking out five. In the second, she wiggled out of a two on, one out mini jam by striking out the side.

She coasted through the third and fourth stanzas, facing the minimum while striking out three and throwing just 14 pitches.

After outfielder Sam Torres was hit by a pitch, Burnside broke up the scoreless game in the top of the fifth, giving Arkansas a 2-0 lead on a two-run homer to left.

Burnside’s 12 homers this year lead the SEC and rank second nationally. South Carolina (13-4, 0-1 SEC) cut the lead in half in the frame’s home side on three singles.

Haff limited the damage and stranded runners on first and second, with third baseman Nicole Duncan’s diving grab on a popped up bunt serving as the key play.

Malkin immediately got the run back leading off the sixth, rocketing a moonshot homer to left, which gave Arkansas a 3-1 lead.

The Razorbacks added an insurance run as outfielder Ryan Jackson worked a walk and was sacrificed to second by outfielder Larissa Cesena, setting up Lauren Graves’ pinch hit RBI single.

Haff (11-1) pitched tremendously and allowed just six singles with 10 strikeouts. She did not walk a hitter and picked up her nation-leading 11th win.

Kelsey Oh (1-3) went the distance for South Carolina, allowing seven hits, four earned runs and three walks with three strikeouts. Arkansas out-hit the Gamecocks, 7-6.

The Razorbacks and Gamecocks play the middle game of the series at 1 p.m. CT tomorrow, March 13 on SEC Network+.

Martin recapping Tigers’ loss to Razorbacks in SEC Tournament

Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin talked with the media about the offensive fouls making it hard to get momentum on offense.

Razorbacks suffer second loss of spring on road at South Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Arkansas women’s tennis dropped a 4-0 decision at South Carolina on Friday, the second of the spring.

Arkansas came out strong against South Carolina’s doubles duos but ultimately dropped the doubles point with losses on courts two and three.

Razorback pair Morgan Cross and Indianna Spink fell to No. 20 Silvia Chinellato and Emma Shelton 6-1 and shortly after, Kelly Keller and partner Laura Rijkers dropped a 6-2 decision to Gamecock duo Ana Cruz and Alli Gretkowski.

The Razorbacks were on the hunt for four singles wins but South Carolina’s momentum was too much to overcome.

Rijkers was the first to finish for Arkansas, falling to Gretkowski on court five 6-1, 6-2. On court three, senior Tatum Rice dropped her first set to Chinellato 6-1 and despite making the right adjustments in the second set, dropped her match to Chinellato 6-1, 6-3.

South Carolina managed to clinch the match on court four, as Arkansas’ Cross fought back against the attack of No. 93 Shelton.

Cross showed great promise in the second set after losing the first, but eventually fell to Shelton in straight sets 6-1, 6-4.

There was no lack of gritty play in the Razorbacks today, with Keller leading one set none on court two against No. 36 Megan Davies.

Freshman Indianna Spink was bouncing back on court one, leading No. 34 Mia Horvit 4-1 in the second set. Senior Lauren Alter was holding strong as Arkansas’ No. 6, leading Cruz 1-0 in the second set after dropping the first 7-6 (6).

Sunday’s match at Florida is set for a noon start.

Listen to Hogs-Tigers online here or on ESPN Arkansas stations

Who: No. 8 Arkansas Razorbacks (21-5, 13-4 SEC) vs. Missouri Tigers (16-8, 10-8 SEC)
What: Arkansas is 14-2 in SEC Quarterfinal games.
When: Friday, March 12, 6 p.m. (pregame starts at 5:30 p.m.).
Where: Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
• TV: SEC Network (Tom Hart and Jimmy Dykes) CLICK HERE
ONLINE: HitThatLine.com LISTEN HERE
• Radio: ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — No. 8 Arkansas opens SEC Tournament play Friday in the quarterfinal round against Missouri, who downed Georgia on Thursday night.

Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. and is on the SEC Network.

Pregame coverage starts at 5:30 p.m. and you can LISTEN HERE or on the radio at ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home or ESPN Northwest Arkansas 99.5 in Fayetteville.

Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman will have all the coverage.

Arkansas is the No. 2 seed in the tournament, Missouri is seventh.

• Arkansas is 27-27 all-time at the SEC Tournament and 14-2 when playing in the SEC quarterfinal round.

• Arkansas is 6-7 all-time at Bridgestone Arena. Arkansas has reached the final of two SEC Tournaments played at Bridgestone Arena (2015 and 2017).

• The Razorbacks have reached the semifinals in three of the last seven SEC Tournaments (2015, 2017 and 2018).

Arkansas defeated Vanderbilt last year, 86-73, in the opening round:

• Desi Sills scored 20 off the bench, making 5-8 FG (5-of-6 3PT).

• The game was the last competition in the SEC (in any sport) until this past fall before the rest of the season was canceled Feb. 12 due to covid-19.

• Eric Musselman is 3-0 in games played at Bridgestone Arena, winning two games with Nevada in the 2018 NCAA Tournament and going 1-0 at last year’s SEC Tournament. Musselman is 7-3 when coaching in a conference tournament and 14-7 overall as a collegiate head coach in the postseason.