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Hopkin picks up second-fastest split in 200-medley at SEC Championships

AUBURN, Ala. — Arkansas finished the first day of the 2020 SEC Swimming and Diving Championships with Anna Hopkin earning the second-fastest split time in the 200 medley relay (20.82).

After one day of competition, the Razorbacks sit in 11th with 89 points.

The team of Andrea Sansores, Vanessa Herrmann, Kobie Melton and Hopkin finished in eighth place in the 200 medley relay with an NCAA ‘B’ cut time of 1:37.34, finishing second in their heat. This time also ranks the ladies second in Arkansas school history.

The women’s 800 freestyle relay team of Peyton Palsha, Emma Hultquist, Lexi Ljunggren and Alyssa Lemon touched the wall in 7:09.88 to finish in ninth place, good enough for the fourth-fastest time in program history.

Coach Neil Harper

“Today was a great start for us. We recorded a season-best in the 200 Medley Relay and got the NCAA B qualifying time. Andrea, Vanessa Kobie and Anna all had fast splits. The 800 free relay beat our time from SEC’s last year by 4 seconds. Peyton, Emma, Lexi and Alyssa all had personal bests so I am extremely proud and excited how well we are performing. We are all looking forward to our events tomorrow and hope we keep the tally of personal bests going.”

Next day of SEC Championships

The Razorbacks will be back in the pool tomorrow morning with prelims for the 500 free, 200 IM and 50 free beginning at 9:30 a.m. and wrap up the day with finals in the 200 free relay, 500 free, 200 IM and 50 free.

Day one results

Women’s 200 Medley Relay

  1. Andrea Sansores, Vanessa Herrmann, Kobie Melton, Anna Hopkin – 1:37.34

Women’s 800 Free Relay

  1. Peyton Palsha, Emma Hultquist, Lexi Ljunggren, Alyssa Lemon – 7:14.96

Women’s 1-Meter

20. Estilla Mosena – 242.30

32. Josephine Matalone – 206.80

Information from Razorback Sports Communications is included in this story.

Short-handed Hogs drop fifth straight game, losing to Gators

When you realize that Arkansas was 3-of-18 on three-pointers and started Ethan Henderson the 73-59 loss at Florida on Tuesday night probably isn’t that surprising.

Yes, apparently things have gotten that bad with one of the best outside shooters in the league still rehabbing from knee surgery. Isaiah Joe made the trip to Gainesville, but didn’t play and there has been no word when he will be on the court again.

Maybe the biggest surprise is the Razorbacks cut a 19-point deficit to two — twice in the second half — but could not complete the comeback as Florida pulled away late.

Mason Jones led Arkansas (again) with 21 points while Adrio Bailey had an SEC career-high 16 points and an SEC career-high eight rebounds.

Henderson, who hasn’t seen much playing time this season, played 11 minutes, scored 7 and grabbed three rebounds before fouling out in the second half.

The Gators were red-hot (50 percent) from the field and out-rebounded the Hogs by 10 (36-26).

And next on the schedule is a surging Missouri, who beat Auburn on Saturday, 85-73 and have a 12-13 record (4-8 in the SEC).

They beat Arkansas in overtime earlier this season, 83-79.

Arkansas looks to break losing streak in road matchup against Florida

Who: Arkansas Razorbacks (16-9. 4-8 SEC) at Florida Gators (16-9, 8-4 SEC)
What: Razorbacks are in Gainesville for the 16th time.
When: Tuesday, Feb. 18, 6 p.m.
Where: Gainesville, Fla., Exactech Arena / Stephen C. O’Connell Center (10,151)
• TV: ESPNU (Roy Philipott and Dane Bradshaw). CLICK HERE to Watch ESPN Online
Radio: ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home with Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman. Pregame starts at 5:30 p.m.
• Listen online at HitThatLine.com. CLICK HERE

Against Florida

• This will be the 38th meeting between Arkansas and Florida, all coming since Arkansas joined the SEC in 1991-92.

• The Gators own a 25-12 advantage in the series, including a 13-2 mark in Gainesville.

• Florida has won 10 of the last 11 meetings. The Gators have won 13 straight in Gainesville with Arkansas’ last win in the Sunshine State coming on Feb. 2, 1995 (94-85).

Last year against the Gators

Jan. 9 in Fayetteville: Mason Jones scored 30 points and played a key role in a 15-2 run late in the game to get the Razorbacks to within two (53-51) with 1:02 left, but the Florida Gators made four free throws inside the final 12 seconds to get a 57-51 victory.

• Arkansas was down 15 (51-36) with 6:11 left before Jones scored 11 points (six free throws, a jumper and a 3-pointer) to trim the Razorbacks’ deficit to two, 53-51. Jones capped the 15-2 run with two free throws with 1:02 left.

• On the ensuing possession, Arkansas’ defense got a stop as Daniel Gafford pulled down his 12th rebound of the contest. The Razorbacks then had two chances to tie the game, but Jones’ jumper missed with 24 seconds left and Adrio Bailey’s put-back rimmed out.

• Arkansas was forced to foul and Kevaughn Allen sank two free throws with 12 seconds left to give the Gators a four-point lead. Arkansas came up empty again before Allen made two more from the charity stripe to secure the six-point win (57-51).

• Allen finished with 18 points, including 11-of-12 at the free throw line. Overall, Florida was 15-of-19 while Arkansas was 15-of-26.

FREE MASON: Jones Leads NCAA Free Throws

• Arkansas junior Mason Jones made 18-of-21 from the free throw line Saturday versus Mississippi State, scoring 38 points.

• Jones now leads the NCAA in both free throws made (172) and free throw attempts (208).

• The 18 makes are an Arkansas single-game record in an SEC game while ranking third (tied) overall. The 21 attempts are the second-most by a Razorback in an SEC game behind Corliss Williamson’s 22 in 1995 and ties for fifth-most overall.

• Jones has made more free throws (172) than field goals (139) but ranks in the SEC top 10 in both (first for free throws made and seventh for field goals made)

???? Halftime Pod Presented by Jeff’s Club House —Guests Joe Kleine And Nikki Chaveanelle

https://soundcloud.com/hitthatline/halftime-pod-presented-by-jeffs-clubhouse-guests-joe-kleine-and-nikki-chaveanelle

Goodheart on hoping teams will start walking Kjerstad more ahead of him

Razorbacks designated hitter Matt Goodheart talked with the media Tuesday morning about following Heston Kjerstad in the batting order during the season opener last week and how he’s working to get his arm strength back throwing the ball.

Van Horn previewing games against Gonzaga, pitching rotations, weather

There is bad weather forecast for Northwest Arkansas which may force changes in the Thursday-Sunday games scheduled against Gonzaga at Baum-Walker Stadium.

In case you missed it, Pittman was on Finebaum Show last weekd

New Arkansas coach Sam Pittman was on the Paul Finebaum Show last week on the SEC Network and if you missed it, here is the complete interview on how he goes about recruiting and his relationship with transfer quarterback Feleipe Franks.

Noland on solid outing in season opener last week, looking ahead to Gonzaga

Razorbacks pitcher Connor Noland talked with the media Tuesday about his strong outing in the opener against Eastern Illinois last Friday that garnered him top pitcher honors in SEC.

Bud Light Seltzer Morning Rush Podcast — Mike Anderson Jr. speaks out, plus Tom Murphy

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Tye & Tommy touch on Mike Anderson Jr.’s comments directed at Ark. radio hosts, Tom Murphy joins, plus a Florida preview!

Green captures league’s top player award after big week at FGCU Invitational

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Arkansas junior catcher Kayla Green has earned SEC Player of the Week honors for the first time in her career, the conference office announced Tuesday.

The award is the first weekly honor for the Razorbacks this year and is the sixth SEC Player of the Week won by an Arkansas player during coach Courtney Deifel’s tenure.

Green is only the second Razorback catcher to win the award as Jennifer Cirigliano was the program’s first in 1997.

Green compiled a 6-for-9 (.667 ba.) week and paced the SEC’s leading offense (.376 team ba.) to a perfect 3-0 weekend at the FGCU Invitational.

She went 3-for-4 at the plate with three singles against Furman in an 8-1 victory to open the weekend, and later that day collected a season-best three RBIs against UIC.

To cap off the weekend, she went 2-for-4 against FGCU and plated a run in the second inning on a single and drove home another run with a two out double in the third. The junior posted a .750 on base percentage.

Defensively she anchored the Arkansas pitching staff to 33 strikeouts and just six walks. The California product also caught two runners attempting to steal a base.

Information from Razorback Sports Communications is included in this story.

Nolan, Kjerstad get league’s player, pitcher honors after first week

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ Heston Kjerstad and Connor Noland have been picked as the first SEC Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week honors for the 2020 season.

Kjerstad’s honor gets the “Co-“ tag and is his first player of the week award from the conference. It is also Noland’s first pitcher of the week accolade, picking up a co-freshman of the week distinction last season.

Arkansas has never earned both SEC Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week before the 2020 week one awards.

Kjerstad, a junior outfielder from Amarillo, Texas, put together a 7-for-12 performance at the plate, recording five extra-base hits, including four home runs. He tallied 10 RBIs, scoring six times, walking twice, to finish with 20 total bases.

He began the year with a 3-for-4 performance on Feb. 14, including an RBI single and two solo home runs. It was the fifth time in his career he had hit multiple homers in a game. Kjerstad would accomplish the feat again in the series finale as part of a 3-for-5 day, launching a three-run dinger and a solo hot, as well as a two-RBI double.

All seven hits brought in at least one run during the weekend against the Panthers. Kjerstad finished the series with a .583/1.667/.643 line at the plate in 12 at-bats. He was also named one of Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s National Players of the Week on Feb. 17.

Noland, a sophomore right-handed pitcher from Greenwood, earned the Opening Day win after tossing 6.2 innings on Friday afternoon. He allowed just one run, unearned, on two hits, walking one batter while striking out a career-high 11. Half of the batters he faced, he struck out.

He held opposing hitters to measly .095 batting average at the plate in the opening contest. It was his eighth career performance with one or fewer runs allowed, as he set the tone for Arkansas’ series sweep of Eastern Illinois.

Kjerstad and the Razorbacks face a short week and an extended weekend as Arkansas welcomes Gonzaga to Baum-Walker Stadium for a four-game series on Feb. 20-23.

Information from Razorback Sports Communications is included in this story.