Dungee on ballot for Wooden Award for top player in nation

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Dungee on ballot for Wooden Award for top player in nation

Chelsea Dungee continues to rack up the national awards this season, as she earned a spot on the Wooden Award National Ballot, announced Saturday morning.

Selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board, the National Ballot consists of 15 student-athletes who are candidates for the Wooden Award All American Team and Wooden Award Trophy as the most outstanding college basketball player in the United States.

Dungee has cemented her legacy in her final season at Arkansas, putting together her best season on the Hill.

Dungee is averaging career-highs in several categories this season, including points per game (22.2), field goal percentage (42.7 percent), and three-point percentage (38.2 percent).

She has scored 20+ in 17 of her 26 games played this season, and has gone for 30 or more points in four contests.

Dungee’s consistency this season has been remarkable, scoring in double figures in all 26 games this season and 10 or more in 31 games dating back to the end of last season, the longest such streak of her career.

All that scoring added up, as Dungee now has 2,120 career points, the highest collegiate total of any Razorback Women’s Basketball player ever.

When the lights were brightest, Dungee always seemed to be at her best. Against teams currently in the top-10 of the AP Poll this season, Dungee has been electric, averaging 22.0 points per game on 45.7 percent shooting and 43.3 percent from deep.

In the Hogs’ two ranked wins this season, Dungee has been nearly unstoppable, averaging 29.5 points per game, while shooting 56 percent from the field and 44 percent from three.

In a year full of memorable performances from the Arkansas guard, her showing against UConn stands out, as she dropped 37 points on the Huskies, the most by any single player against them this century.

All balloted players have been certified by their university to meet or exceed the qualifications for the Wooden Award as set forth by Wooden when the Award was established.

Voting will take place from March 16-23 and voters take into consideration a player’s entire season of play as well as the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

The finalists for the 2021 Wooden Award presented by Wendy’s will be announced on March 26.

TRUSTING THE PROCESS: Otis Kirk of the Pig Trail Nation

Tye Richardson
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TRUSTING THE PROCESS: Otis Kirk of the Pig Trail Nation

Tye and Otis on starting out in Mena, being one of the pioneers in Arkansas recruiting, going to Chainsmoker concerts and more!

 

Razorbacks shut out in Friday road trip at Kentucky, 7-0

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Razorbacks shut out in Friday road trip at Kentucky, 7-0

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Arkansas dropped a road trip to 20th-ranked Kentucky (13-3, 3-2 SEC) on Friday night, 7-0.

In doubles, Melvin Manuel and Adrien Burdet earned a win on court three by downing Yasha Zemel and Joshua Lapadat, 6-2.

The scoring was tied at 1-1, but the Razorbacks duo won five of the final six games for their first win of the season as a pair.

Enrique Paya bounced back after dropping the initial set to Zemel, 4-6. Paya evened up the match with a 6-3 victory in the second, but the Razorback eventually fell in a third set tiebreak (11-13) on court five.

After dropping the first set on court three, Manuel battled Millen Hurrion to an extended second set. However, the Wildcat eventually won the set, 7-6 (7-4), and the No. 3 spot for UK.

“Well done to Kentucky. They are very good in the situation like today, at home, four indoor courts, and winning a close doubles point,” said coach Andy Jackson. “We played hard, but they played better. We are going to keep our heads up and get ready to play outdoors on Sunday in Nashville against Vanderbilt.”

Arkansas continues its road trip with a visit to Nashville, Tenn. to face the Vanderbilt Commodores. First serve on Sunday, March 7, is scheduled for 12 p.m.

Hogs win 14th straight game, sweeping doubleheader Friday

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Hogs win 14th straight game, sweeping doubleheader Friday

No. 20 Arkansas swept a doubleheader, downing Kansas, 8-3, and Northwestern State, 13-5 (6 innings), on Friday night during day two of the Wooo Pig Classic at Bogle Park.

The Razorbacks have won a program-record 14 straight games, surpassing the previous mark of 12 consecutive wins held by the 1999 and 2008 teams.

Game 1: No. 20 Arkansas 8, Kansas 3

The Razorbacks (15-2) jumped on the scoreboard first, scoring three in the first on outfielder Linnie Malkin’s base hit, infielder Audrie LaValley’s bases loaded walk and outfielder Ryan Jackson’s sacrifice fly.

Kansas (6-4) answered right back in the top of the second, aided by an error and a two RBI triple, to tie the game, 3-3.

After both teams struggled in the third and fourth innings, Arkansas’ offense went back to work in the sixth as infielder Braxton Burnside gave the team a 5-3 lead by driving her first bomb of the day, a two-run homer, to left center.

The bats tacked on three more insurance runs the next frame on infielder Hannah Gammill’s two RBI double and infielder Danielle Gibson’s RBI groundout.

Autumn Storms started for the Razorbacks and went 2.1 innings before being lifted.

Mary Haff (8-1) was outstanding in relief, tossing 4.2 scoreless innings and allowing just two hits with seven strikeouts.

Tatum Goff (2-1) took the loss firing 4.0 innings and allowing five earned runs for Kansas. She walked three and struck out one.

Both Gammill and Burnside led the way with two hits and two RBI apiece. Gammill also scored a career-high three runs.

Game 2: No. 20 Arkansas 13, Northwestern State 5 (6 innings)

The Bogle Bombers tied the single-game program record, smacking five homers in a game for the second time this season.

Gibson hit two and was joined by catcher Kayla Green, outfielder Ryan Jackson and Burnside in the home run department.

Northwestern State posted a four spot in the first inning, but Arkansas scored six in the bottom of the stanza to grab a 6-4 lead.

Burnside (two-run), Gibson (solo) and Jackson (three-run) each went yard as the Razorbacks scored every run of the inning via the long ball.

Arkansas scored three more runs in the third and four in the sixth to shorten the game.

Gibson hit a mammoth two-run shot to right that landed on Stadium Drive in right and Green blasted a two-run homer to center, ending the game.

Lauren Howell (2-0) picked up the win out of the bullpen tossing 2.0 innings and allowing just one run with a strikeout.

Fellow freshman Allie Light pitched admirably and inherited a bases loaded nobody out jam in the fifth, and after an error, just one Demon runner crossed the plate.

She worked 2.0 innings and did not allow a hit with a strikeout. Redshirt freshman Jenna Bloom worked the game’s first 2.0 innings. Bronte Rhoden (1-1) took the loss for NSU out of the bullpen.

The Razorbacks outhit the Lady Demons, 11-9, with both Gibson and Burnside registering three hits and four RBI. Jackson was also 2-for-3 with three RBI.

Arkansas plays one more game this weekend as it takes on Northwestern State again at 3 p.m. tomorrow, Saturday.

Razorbacks set program record in win over Auburn

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Razorbacks set program record in win over Auburn

AUBURN, Ala. — For the second time in three weeks Arkansas made program history, scoring a program-record 197.425 in the team’s 197.425-197.125 win at Auburn.

Kennedy Hambrick was impressive again, finishing with a 39.700 all-around score for her fourth all-around title.

The junior also added her fourth vault title (9.950) with the performance.

Arkansas opened the meet with a season-best 49.425 on the bars, good enough for the sixth-best total in program history and highest ever on the road.

The Gymbacks’ lineup was highlighted by season-highs from Hambrick and freshman Jensen Scalzo, who both scored 9.925s on bars. Scalzo has improved her routine in each meet this season, complete with a blind-change jaeger and double-back dismount.

On the vault, Hambrick’s Yurchenko 1.5 caught the eye of every fan in Auburn Arena. Her stuck landing added to a solid lineup of vault scores that resulted in a 49.275 team score.

Midway through the meet, Arkansas held a 98.700-98.575 lead over the Tigers. The 98.700 is the highest two-rotation score for the Gymbacks this season.

Arkansas lit up the floor in the third rotation with all five countable routines scoring 9.800 or better en route to a 49.450 event score.

Now in the number three spot, senior Sophia Carter scored a season-high 9.950 after she beautifully executed a switch-half split full and double-pick last pass.

Redshirt-sophomore Bailey Lovett scored a 9.950 to equal her season high, sticking her double-layout and tour jete-split full perfectly. Moved to the anchor spot, Hambrick’s huge double-tuck first pass scored a 9.925 to close out the floor party on a high note.

Lovett showed off her backflip catch-mount on beam and registered a career-high 9.950 in the number two spot.

The Gymbacks went out with a bang as Hambrick signed off on the historical night with a stuck cartwheel-gainer dismount and 9.900 from the judges.

Arkansas now begins preparations for the SEC Championship in Huntsville, Ala., on March 20 on SEC Network.

Long and short of this Hogs’ team is, well, they’re really good

Andy Hodges
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Long and short of this Hogs’ team is, well, they’re really good

There’s about nine inches of difference in the stature of what is likely Arkansas’ two best players and they may have given a glimpse of the future Friday.

The result was a 7-6 win on a cold, rainy day at Baum-Walker Stadium.

After the Razorbacks stumbled around offensively for most of the first game in a weekend series with Murray State, Robert Moore (all 5-foot-9 of him) went yard for the second time in the game for a slim one-run lead in the bottom of the eighth.

Jaxon Wiggins (at 6-foot-6) then went to the mound and only needed 10 pitches to seal his second win of the season.

We saw enough glimpses of Wiggins in the opening series of the year in Arlington, Texas, to  know there was something special in the tall right-hander that throws pitches that creep close to 100 miles an hour.

“I don’t think we hit him all spring,” Moore said later. “He’s hard to hit. He gets better every single day”

That last part is probably scary to everybody on the Hogs’ schedule.

For the Racers, who had given most of the Hogs’ pitching staff problems. Dave Van Horn used seven pitchers in the game.

Peyton Pallette started and went four innings, Patrick Wicklander threw a couple of innings in the middle and everybody else just pitched to a few guys as Van Horn went to a situational rotation.

He held Wiggins for exactly what happened the eighth.

When Moore yanked the third pitch he faced high and over the wall near the scoreboard with nobody out and Zack Gregory on base, Van Horn got his perfect situation. That flipped a one-run game in the Hogs’ favor with one swing.

Wiggins got a quick fly-out, then two strikeouts and it was on to Saturday.

Moore, who plays more like a sixth-year senior than a just a few games in 2020 before the covid shutdown, is providing a big bat and consistent play at second base. He was 3-of-4 at the plate Friday with four RBI on three hits.

And, in the end, it was just another comeback win that this team is turning into something so routine folks kind of expect it.

“The truth of the matter is all of this is only possible if our pitching keeps us in games,” Moore said later. “Our pitching keeps us in games and we’re just very calm.”

It’s gotten these Hogs to 8-0 and ranked No. 1 in the country in several of the polls, which means absolutely nothing in a sport where you have to play your way to a title.

And while they aren’t the only players on the roster, we may have gotten a peek into two that are going to play key roles.

Moore is the shortest player on the roster and maybe the best overall hitter, especially in the clutch.

Wiggins may be the closer the Hogs haven’t had very often.

And that could be the long and short of the future of this season which could be really good.

Razorbacks upset Vanderbilt on Friday, 4-3, to stay unbeaten

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Razorbacks upset Vanderbilt on Friday, 4-3, to stay unbeaten

No. 23 Arkansas claimed an upset over Southeastern Conference foe, No. 9 Vanderbilt 4-3 on Friday afternoon at the Billingsley Tennis Center.

The win moves Arkansas to 10-0 on the year while Vanderbilt falls to 10-2 overall.

Junior Laura Rijkers clinched the win for Arkansas with an exhilarating three-set victory over Vanderbilt’s Marcella Cruz on court six.

After falling to Cruz 7-6 (5) in the first set, Rijkers fought back for an impressive 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 6-4 comeback.

Sophomore Kelly Keller and Rijkers gave Arkansas an early advantage in doubles play as they won their match against Vanderbilt’s Christina Rosca and Anessa Lee, 6-4.

Freshmen pair Indianna Spink and Morgan Cross were leading on court two 5-4, but Commodores Emma Kurtz and Cruz forced the match into a tiebreaker set where the Razorbacks ultimately fell 7-6 (5).

Now tied at one doubles win apiece, Arkansas looked to Lauren Alter and Tatum Rice in the No. 1 position. Facing Anna Ross and Holly Staff, Alter and Rice battled into a tiebreaker set as well but came up just short 7-6 (5).

Rice evened the score quickly in singles play, defeating Anna Ross, 6-2, 6-3 on court three. With the victory, Rice extended her singles winning streak to three matches and improved her singles record to 7-2 this spring.

Vanderbilt took the lead again with a win on court five; Alter dropped her match to Lee 6-3, 7-6 (4). It wasn’t long after that Spink notched an impressive win over No. 20 Rosca in the No. 1 position, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. Spink gave Rosca her first loss of the spring and improved her own record to 7-2 overall.

The Hogs continue to give it their best fight, as the teams traded wins and were tied again at 3-3.

Cross dropped her tiebreaker set to Holly Staff on court four in a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 marathon match. On court two, Keller bounced back after a set-one loss, to claim a victory over Kurtz 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Arkansas returns to the court on Sunday to host Kentucky.

Sunday’s match against the Wildcats is set to start at noon and is available for fans to watch for free, via Playsight.

Moore after pair of two-run homers brings Hogs back

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Moore after pair of two-run homers brings Hogs back

Robert Moore came up big at the plate Friday evening, hitting two homers to bring Arkansas to a comeback win over Murray State.

Florida’s wall shut down Razorbacks in league matchup Friday

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Florida’s wall shut down Razorbacks in league matchup Friday

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Arkansas ran into a wall of blocks dropping the first of two SEC matches, 25-16, 25-19, 25-21 at No. 8 Florida on Friday.

The Gators finished the night with 13.5 team blocks holding Arkansas to a 0.141 hitting percentage on the night.

Florida improved to 13-2 on the year while Arkansas drops to 11-6 in the final road trip of the regular season.

Hog Highlights
Jillian Gillen | 10 kills
Maggie Cartwright | 8 kills, .375 hitting percentage
Gracie Ryan | 10 digs

How the game happened
One of the top blocking teams in the SEC, the Gators established the wall early in the first frame.

They finished the first set with a 7-1 block advantage while holding Arkansas to a .059% hitting percentage. Florida also stole a page from the Razorbacks’ play book, out-digging Arkansas 16-9 in the first set.

Florida’s block set the tone for the match with their hitters and strong serving allowing them to pick up the win.

Arkansas played Florida close with back-and-forth runs in each set but mini-scoring bursts behind a serve that took Arkansas out of system lifted the Gators to the win.

Arkansas started the second and third sets staying close with Florida as the teams were tied at 19-all in both frames.

The Gators used a block to capture the momentum and finished the middle set on a 6-0 run. Again, tied at 19 in the third set, Florida had a 6-2 run to close out the match win.

Next match
The Razorbacks and Gators face each other again Saturday with the first serve at 5 p.m.

It is the final regular season road trip for the Razorbacks. Arkansas hosts Tennessee on March 13-14 and wraps up the regular season with South Carolina March 19-20, in Barnhill Arena.

Watch Arkansas at Florida on Saturday: SEC Network Plus

Van Horn after Hogs come from behind to down Murray State

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Van Horn after Hogs come from behind to down Murray State

Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn on using numerous pitchers, key hits late to come from behind again to down the Racers.

Experienced depth won’t be dramatically affected by loss

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Experienced depth won’t be dramatically affected by loss

Noah Gatlin has made the decision to not continue his football path after dealing with multiple injuries over his first couple of seasons with Arkansas.

The news was first reported by Tom Murphy of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Gatlin is the only offensive lineman in Arkansas’ two-deep depth chart during the 2020 season that will not return in 2021.

In addition to Dalton Wagner at right tackle and Clary at right guard, the Razorbacks will also have left tackle Myron Cunningham, left guard Brady Latham, center Ricky Stromberg and all of their backups.

Gatlin also missed most of this year’s Auburn game because of a lower left leg injury suffered on the first play, then didn’t play well, suffered a concussion and Wagner took over at right tackle.

He missed the entire 2019 season because of a torn ACL suffered on the first day of fall camp.

Gatlin showed promise as a freshman during the 2018 season, playing in four games and starting two early in the season. He was expected to compete for a starting spot at tackle in 2019 before suffering the season-ending knee injury on the very first day of fall camp.

The Razorbacks will start spring practice Tuesday afternoon.

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