Tye Richardson & Evan Gentry talk Thanksgiving food, games, this weekend and more!
Strong third quarter, Ramirez, lift Hogs past Wake Forest at Beach Bubble
FORT MYERS, Fla. — No. 14 Arkansas beat Wake Forest), 98-82, Friday morning in Alico Arena, using a 56-point second half to pull away from the Demon Deacons.
That surge included a 37-point third quarter, the most points ever scored in a single frame by a Razorback team and coach Mike Neighbors later said it was one of the best quarters he’d ever seen a team have.
Redshirt senior guard Amber Ramirez bounced back in a big way for the Hogs, going for 22 points on nine of 11 shooting, including four of six from beyond the arc.
It was a bounce-back game for Ramires after hitting only one of 10 shots in her first game of the 2020-21 season. Sophomore guard Makayla Daniels once again scored in double figures, going for 18 points. She also led the team with five assists.
Turning point
Arkansas and Wake Forest were in a tight game all the way through halftime, as the Hogs took a narrow two point advantage into the intermission.
The Demon Deacons were playing well, shooting more 3’s (6) and free throws (6) than the Razorbacks did in the first half. The Hogs were also dealing with foul trouble, as Taylah Thomas, Destiny Slocum, and Ramirez all had two fouls, while Daniels had picked up three before the break.
However, the Hogs exploded in the third quarter, using a lightning-quick 9-0 run early in the frame to create some separation.
When all was said and done in the record-setting third quarter, the Hogs would turn a two-point halftime advantage into a 79-58 third quarter lead.
Hog highlights
• Redshirt senior guard Chelsea Dungee shot it well at the line against Wake Forest, making 10 of her 11 free throws attempted. It was the 10th time in her Arkansas’ career shooting 10 or more freebies.
• Thomas nearly double-doubled, going for 11 points and nine rebounds.
• Redshirt sophomore Erynn Barnum once again made an impact off the bench, going for 12 points, five rebounds and two blocks. It was the second time in her career scoring in double figures in back-to-back games.
• It was the fourth game of Daniels’ career going for five or more assists.
Next time out
The Razorbacks’ second game in Fort Myers comes against the host, Florida Gulf Coast. That game will tip at 1:30 and will be streamabale on FloHoops.
Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.
Neighbors on big third quarter from Hogs one of best he’s ever seen
Arkansas out-scored Wake Forest 37-18 in the third quarter Friday to key a 98-82 win in the Beach Bubble behind Amber Ramirez’ 22 points.
With no minimum wins required, Hogs’ bowl will help boost solid recruiting
The odds are very good Arkansas will be playing in a bowl game this year, regardless of the number of wins in the remainder of whatever the schedule becomes.
When the minimum number of wins required to go bowling in the covid season, the entire scenario for bowl games changed dramatically.
As much as boosting the morale of everyone from fans on up, it likely would help what Sam Pittman has rolling in the recruiting game as that season is in high gear.
The Hogs picked up a commitment from Georgia in safety Jayden Johnson, who de-committed from South Carolina after they kicked Will Muschamp to the curb last week.
In what has all the potential in the world to be complete chaos in the world of recruiting as there could be a record number of de-commits all over the country. Remember, most of these high school players have never even seen the campus in person they said they want to spend their college careers.
Johnson’s pickup moved the Hogs to No. 19 in the 247Sports.com composite of all the recruiting rankings, but things will probably settle with Arkansas somewhere in the mid-20’s at best.
Bowl projections in the national media have the Razorbacks playing in the Texas Bowl against Texas, which is a dream marketing matchup for ESPN to get the most possible eyeballs to tune in on New Year’s Eve.
A couple of the projections place them in the Outback Bowl against Indiana and the Music City Bowl game in Nashville has been mentioned.
The fact is bowl games became about the attractiveness of the television matchup when ESPN basically took charge of the bowl games a few years ago. They have the television rights to nearly all of them along with the national radio rights.
It is not completely out of the possibilities in this crazy year the entire SEC could be playing in a bowl game.
In a year with nobody putting a lot of people in the stands for safety reasons, television viewership has become critical and football is drawing eyeballs.
Apparently people would rather watch cable news channels than the World Series and everything on TV drew considerably more viewers than the NBA (even the playoffs and finals).
The Hogs getting to a bowl game this year is an interesting storyline with a team that will likely be able to hold its own against just about anybody not playing in the top playoff games.
Hogs tight ends no longer question mark after making plays during season
Hawgs Illustrated’s Clay Henry thinks one of the answers to question marks this season was tight ends, but they have made big plays.
Olson looks ahead to playoffs; Central Arkansas all that’s left in Class 7A
Nate Olson of the RARN Friday Night Scoreboard show not shocked at Cabot’s upset of Bentonville in Class 7A playoffs last week.
Musselman still finds some things that need work in big opening-night win
Arkansas coach Eric Musselman still found some things defensively that need to be corrected but overall pleased with 80-point win in opener.
Jackson on hot streak in opener, passing 1,000-point mark in college scoring
Arkansas’ Vance Jackson (15 points, 7 rebounds) on hot streak and passing the 1,000 points in his collegiate career in opening win.
Vanover finally gets to play game that counts as a Razorback in season opener
Connor Vanover (23 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks) grew up wanting to play for the Hogs and Wednesday night’s opening win was “surreal.”
Hogs open season against Mississippi Valley on ESPN Arkansas
Who: Arkansas (0-0) vs. Mississippi Valley State (0-0)
What: 2020-21 season opener
When: Wednesday, Nov. 25, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Fayetteville, Nolan Richardson Court at Bud Walton Arena
How (to follow):
• TV: SEC Network Plus (Brett Dolan and Manny Watkins) CLICK HERE to Watch SEC/ESPN Online
• Radio: ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home on the Learfield IMG College Razorback Sports Network (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
• Online: Listen online at HitThatLine.com or CLICK HERE
• Sirius/XM: XM Channel 390, Streaming Online on channel 980
• Live Stats: www.Arkansas.StatBroadcast.com
Arkansas opens the 98th season of men’s basketball on Wednesday against Mississippi Valley State.
Tip-off is set for 6:30 pm and the game is sold out.
• This will be the sixth meeting between Arkansas and Mississippi Valley State — all taking place in Fayetteville — and first since 2011-12. The Razorbacks own a 5-0 advantage in the series.
• The Razorbacks have won 45 straight home openers, including a 27-0 record in openers inside Bud Walton Arena. Overall, the Razorbacks have won 46 of the last 49 seasons openers.
• Desi Sills was named preseason All-SEC and the Razorbacks were picked to finish sixth.
• Arkansas has a school-record 11 new scholarship players this season.
• Arkansas’ has an NCAA-high of 12 total newcomers (four graduate seniors, three sit-out transfers and five freshmen).
• Graduate senior Vance Jackson Jr., is only 10 points shy of 1,000 for his career while fellow graduate senior Jalen Tate is only 50 points shy of 1,000.
• Arkansas enters 2020-21 owning the nation’s third-best streak for consecutive games making a 3-pointer with 1,043. UNLV – which has made a trey in every game since the rule was established – has a streak of 1,102 and Duke is second at 1,090. Western Kentucky trails Arkansas at 1,040.
Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.
Balanced offense, stifling defense paces Hogs past Oral Roberts
FAYETTEVILLE — No. 14 Arkansas (1-0, 0-0) started its season off with a win, beating Oral Roberts (0-1, 0-0) on Wednesday morning in Bud Walton Arena, 96-49.
The Razorbacks were balanced all morning long, as five different Hogs scored in double figures, while 12 different Razorbacks scored overall.
On the defensive side of the ball, Arkansas was stifling, holding the Golden Eagles to just 49 total points on 32.7 percent shooting, while forcing 29 turnovers.
Redshirt senior guard Destiny Slocum introduced herself to Arkansas fans in the opener, going for a game-high 22 points in her Arkansas debut.
The Oregon State transfer was highly efficient in her first game as a Hog, making nine of her 14 shots from the field. She also dished three assists and tallied a steal.
Redshirt senior guard Chelsea Dungee also played well in her first game of 2020-21, going for 17 points on four of eight shooting, while also making eight of her 11 free throws attempted.
Turning point
The Razorbacks came out of the blocks a little slow, trailing 4-0 early in the first quarter. Arkansas missed its first four shots, only shot seven of 19 in the first quarter, and didn’t hit a three in the first frame.
However, the Hogs’ defense was impressive in the opening quarter. Arkansas forced Oral Roberts into nine turnovers in the first, and only allowed six points in the period.
The Hogs would open things up in the second, though, outscoring Oral Roberts 28-13, including a quick 8-0 run early in the frame, courtesy of four points from Makayla Daniels, and two apiece from Slocum, Dungee and Taylah Thomas.
Hog highlights
• Thomas was great on the glass for the Hogs, going for 13 rebounds, her most since she double-doubled against Fordham last season at the Bahamas Hoopfest.
• Redshirt sophomore forward Erynn Barnum gave the Hogs some scoring punch off the bench, going for 14 points against Oral Roberts, matching her career high.
• Sophomore guard Marquesha Davis had a breakout game against Oral Roberts, posting the first double-double of her career, going for 11 points and 11 rebounds.
• Davis was also a menace defensively, nabbing five steals, the most by a Razorback since Amber Ramirez had five against UT Martin last season (12/29/19).
• Daniels also scored in double figures, going for 14 points against ORU. She also had two steals and a block.
Next time out
The Razorbacks head to Florida for the Gulf Coast Showcase, where they will play three games in three days.
The Hogs’ first opponent in the Sunshine State is Wake Forest, and that game will tip off at 10:30 a.m. on Friday morning. It will be streambale on FloHoops.
