Michael From Stuttgart shares his thoughts on Mike Anderson and the Arkansas basketball program.
Four players hit double figures to lead Hogs to Senior Day win over Rebels
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas had four players in double figures behind a 33-point performance from Chelsea Dungee in a 73-61 SEC win on Senior Day in Bud Walton Arena on Sunday.
Dungee played 39 of 40 minutes helping send seniors Malica Monk, Bailey Zimmerman, Raven Northcross-Baker, Sydney Stout and Keiryn Swenson out with a win. Sophomore A’Tyanna Gaulden added 12 points in the win while Alexis Tolefree and Jailyn Mason scored 10 points each for Arkansas (17-11, 6-8 SEC).
The win over Ole Miss (9-19, 3-11 SEC) moves Arkansas one step closer to a first-round bye in the SEC Tournament which takes place March 6-10 in Greenville, South Carolina.
Ole Miss came out of the gates strong looking to avenge a 30-point loss to the Razorbacks earlier this season. The teams played to an 18-all tie after the first 10 minutes and it was a two-point Arkansas advantage, 35-33, at the half.
The Lady Rebels came out after the break and tried to slow the pace of play, but Arkansas was able to outrebound Ole Miss 9-6 while going on an 8-0 run to open up the lead. Dungee had eight points in the third frame while Mason added six for Arkansas helping the Razorbacks lead by as much as 11 late in the period.
Arkansas stretched the advantage to 15 points with just over a minute remaining when head coach Mike Neighbors cleared the bench letting every Razorback play.
Up Next
The Razorbacks host Missouri on Thursday in an 8 p.m. game that will be televised by the SEC Network. It is the final regular season home game of the year. Arkansas travels to Texas A&M March 3 before beginning postseason play at the SEC Tournament.
Notes
• Arkansas Starters: Alexis Tolefree, Malica Monk, Kiara Williams, Jailyn Mason, Chelsea Dungee
• Chelsea Dungee scored 10 points in the first quarter. It is the 10th time this year she has had double figures in a quarter. She finished with 33 points. It is her 14th game of the year with 20+ points and her third with 30+ points.
• A’Tyanna Gaulden had 12 points – her fourth game of the season in double figures.
• Alexis Tolefree finished with 10 points scoring in double figures for the 14th time this year.
• Jailyn Mason scored 10 points, and was in double figures for the eighth time.
Tolefree, Dungee talk about getting back on track against Rebels
Razorback players Alexis Tolefree (10 points, 3 rebounds) and Chelsea Dungee (33 points, 4 rebounds) recapped the 73-61 win over Ole Miss on Sunday afternoon.
Neighbors glad to break losing streak with win over Ole Miss
Arkansas downs Rebels on Senior Night at Bud Walton Arena on Sunday afternoon and coach Mike Neighbors was glad to break losing streak.
Hogs close out Razorback Invitational with 10-2 win over IUPUI on Sunday
FAYETTEVILLE — Catcher Kayla Green sealed the deal for the University of Arkansas softball on Sunday when she took a 2-2 count from IUPUI’s Lexi Lucas over the right-center wall, scoring three and giving the Hogs a nine-run lead that would lead to the Razorbacks’ 10-2 victory.
Arkansas (12-3) scored its first run of the game in the bottom of the first, after sophomore Hannah McEwen tripled to right-center and senior Katie Warrick followed with a single through the right side, it looked like the Hogs had sparked an early rally, but consecutive fly balls to left field would end the inning for the Hogs.
IUPUI (3-12) responded with a run of its own in the third, tying the game at 1-1 after a Razorback error. The Hogs would end up committing three miscues through five frames.
The Razorbacks didn’t waste time recovering their lead, posting two more runs in the bottom of the inning off the bat of Ashley Diaz who soared one out to centerfield and scored Warrick and Danielle Gibson as the Jaguar muffed the catch.
The fourth inning began with a single up the middle by Maggie Hicks, and that hit would spark a seven-run rally highlighted with RBI from Sydney Parr, Gibson, Diaz, and Green.
Over the course of the four-day invitational, Arkansas outscored opponents 36-16, and outhit opponents 52-37. As a team, the Hogs swung a .342 average at the plate, with McEwen leading the pack at .474.
Green and teammate freshman Taylor Greene caught four players stealing on four total attempts through six games.
Up Next
The Razorbacks will stay in Fayetteville for another week and will host their Woo Pig Classic next weekend (Feb. 28-March 3). The Hogs will face Omaha, Nevada, Northwestern State and Boston University. Admission to all games during the Woo Pig Classic is free to the public.
Fletcher’s late homer gives Hogs shot before falling in 10 innings against USC
LOS ANGELES — Junior Dominic Fletcher nearly became the Arkansas hero Saturday night after he hit the go-ahead home run in the top of the 10th inning Saturday night at Dedeaux Field.
However, USC came back with three runs in the bottom half of the frame, including getting a two-run walk-off home run from CJ Stubbs, to beat the Hogs, 6-4, and prevent the three-game sweep.
The Razorbacks (5-1) and Trojans (3-3) were locked in a pitchers’ duel throughout the majority of the game, but late-game hits provided a back-and-forth battle in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings that eventually took the game into extra innings.
Christian Franklin’s RBI in the seventh tied the game at 2-2 and Fletcher launched his first home run of the year with a solo bomb in the 10th.
But, USC, with the benefit of the final at-bat, got three hits in the bottom half, including a game-tying single by Jamal O’Guinn followed by the two-run homer by Stubbs.
It’s the first extra-inning game for the Razorbacks this year, but was the second-lowest run output by the Hog offense in the season’s first six games.
Arkansas was 1-1 in extra-inning games a year ago. Even with the loss, Arkansas takes the series from the Trojans marking its first road series win since taking 2-of-3 from Alabama in Tuscaloosa in 2017.
Nine Razorbacks recorded at least one of Arkansas’ 11 hits in the game. Jacob Nesbit and Christian Franklin, Arkansas’ Nos. 8 and 9 hitters, each posted two hits to lead the team.
Franklin drove in two runs for the second-straight night and had one of the biggest hits of the game when his single up the middle scored pinch runner Casey Opitz in the seventh inning, tying the game at 2-2.
Starting pitcher Connor Noland, making his second start of the year, went four innings, but was not as sharp as a week ago, giving up two earned runs on three hits, including a solo home run, with two strikeouts.
Junior Jacob Kostyshock was first out of the bullpen and kept the USC offense in check, retiring the first 10 batters he faced and ended up going 3.2 innings with three strikeouts.
Over his two outings this season, Kostyshock has only allowed one run in 8.2 innings and not allowed more than three hits in both outings.
Sophomore Casey Martin, who had one hit on Saturday, finishes the weekend as Arkansas’ top hitter, going 4-for-14 (.286) with three extra-base hits and five RBIs.
Four other players came away with three hits in the series including, Trevor Ezell, Fletcher, Jack Kenley and Heston Kjerstad.
Ezell was one of the toughest outs in the series, as he reached base seven times in 15 plate appearances, batting out of the three hole. The graduate senior drew four walks, three in Friday’s game two, and reached on an error twice in game one, while also stealing a combined three bases.
Razorback Quotables
“It was a really good weekend for us. Obviously, we wanted to win game three and sweep the series. USC has a lot of talented players, they have good arms on the mound, and to come out here and win two of three is good. We were so close to sweeping it that would have made it a really good weekend. We learned a lot about our team. We learned a lot about how to coach some guys in certain situations and we learned a little about the toughness of some of our players. I’m disappointed with the loss, but not disappointed with the effort at all.” — Coach Dave Van Horn the Saturday loss, but getting the series win over USC
“I talked with the team about how fragile the game is. When you’re playing good competition and make a little mistake here, whether it be the dropped pop-up or not getting a bunt down or you just miss a spot. It’s a fine line between winning and losing. We might have lost tonight, but maybe it will help us win a game in a week or two.” — Van Horn on what he told the team after the game
Up Next
Arkansas returns home for a 13-game homestand next week starting with a single mid-week game against Memphis on Wednesday at Baum-Walker Stadium.
First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. and will be televised on SEC Network+.
Anderson: ‘They’ve got to do better job … and some of that’s on me’
Razorbacks coach Mike Anderson said after the 87-80 loss to Texas A&M on Saturday night at Bud Walton, the fifth straight, “I don’t know if I’ve got a lot of patience for that.”
Gafford on ‘bitter pill to swallow’ in another loss before home crowd
Arkansas center Daniel Gafford (23 points, 13 rebounds) talked about the disappointment for himself and the team in another loss at Bud Walton Arena, this time to the Aggies.
Aggies’ Kennedy after getting win over Razorbacks at Bud Walton
Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy talked with the media after leading the Hogs for 25:17 of the 87-80 win where they held off a late run and made free throws.
Arkansas literally runs away with fifth straight SEC Indoor title Saturday
FAYETTEVILLE — No. 1 Arkansas absolutely ran away from the competition as the Razorbacks built up an 81-point buffer between them and second-place Florida scoring 151-points over the 17-event competition to capture its fifth-straight SEC Indoor Track and Field Championship on Saturday night at Randal Tyson.
Arkansas has now captured 14 out of the last 15 SEC Team Championship titles between cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track.
Tonight’s title is the ninth all-time SEC Indoor Championship for the Arkansas women’s program having also won titles in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018.
Lexi Jacobus captured her second SEC Indoor pole vault title, fifth-overall SEC title, in spectacular fashion clearing an SEC Championships meet record, a program record, and personal-best 4.68m (15-4.25).
Jacobus attempted 12-bars before clearing the winning height and sending the crowd into a roar of cheers for the Cabot, Arkansas native.
Taylor Werner had quite a day, completing the sweep of the 3K/5K as well as earning finishing in a tie for the Cliff Harper Trophy (awarded to the high-point scorer at the SEC Indoor Championship) as Werner and Florida’s Yanis David each scored 20 points.
Werner made quick work of the 3,000-meter final, crossing the finish line in 9:15.57 to become the first Razorback since Penny Splichal to complete the feat. Devin Clark finished third in the 3K running 9:26.33, while Reed returned to score again crossing the line in seventh-place (9:40.63)
Jacobus was joined in scoring by Tori Hoggard who cleared 4.60m (15-1) for second-place and Desiree Freier in fifth-place with a best clearance of 4.24m (13-11).
Lauren Gregory picked up the momentum on the track right where it left off Friday night as she cruised to a title in the Mile, running 4:39.50 leading the Hogs in an SEC sweep of the event. Carina Viljoen finished runner-up in 4:41.40 while Maddy Reed made it official with a third-place finish in 4:43.03.
Next on the track for Arkansas were three more scoring opportunities as Kiara Parker, Janeek Brown, and Jada Baylark stepped to the track for the final of the 60-meters.
Parker who led the nation for most of the indoor season finished fourth followed by Brown and Baylark in fifth and sixth-place, adding to the Razorback total. Parker returned to score in the 200-meters finishing seventh.
Kethlin Campbell and Morgan Burks-Magee scored in the 400-meter final finishing fifth and sixth, respectively with times of 52.60 and 53.05. Campbell’s time finished tied for the seventh-best time in program history with Jessica Cousin’s effort from 2007.
Sydney Hammit also scored for Arkansas with an eighth-place finish running 54.09 seconds.
Payton Chadwick and Brown added to the Razorback total with their 1-2 finish in the 60-meter hurdles. Chadwick captured her first SEC 60-hurdle title running 8.02 while Brown followed close behind in 8.09 for silver.
Chadwick would return in the 200-meters posting a second-place finish in 23.01.
Alex Byrnes grabbed a fifth-place finish in the 800-meters running a personal-best 2:06.70 in the four-lap race.
Arkansas closed out the meet with a season-best time in the women’s 4×400-meter relay that also stands at the No. 3 all-time performance in Razorback history with their time of 3:29.69 for fourth-place.
With the SEC Championships in the books, Arkansas looks to the NCAA Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Ala., where the men and women who finished in the top-16 of individual events, as well as the top-12 relays from each gender on the final descending order list, will advance.
Gibson makes history with home run cycle at Razorback Invitational
FAYETTEVILLE — Sophomore transfer Danielle Gibson has made her mark on Arkansas softball forever, helping the Razorbacks to a five-inning 15-3 win over SIU-Edwardsville on Saturday night.
Gibson became the first NCAA Division I softball player to hit for the home run cycle — a solo, two-run and three-run home run, and a grand slam — in four innings.
Gibson’s hits were only four of the Hogs’ 15 hits against the Cougars. Headed into today’s games, the Hogs were averaging less than seven runs a game; their 15 runs are the most by the Razorbacks this season.
Arkansas recognized trouble when SIUE opened the first frame with back-to-back extra base hits, pushing the Cougars out to an early 2-0 lead.
The Razorbacks responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the first, thanks to Gibson’s two-RBI home run that scored teammate Hannah McEwen.
Senior Katie Warrick followed Gibson’s hit with a walk and would later score the third run off the bat of Maggie Hicks and a well-executed sacrifice hit to left field.
Arkansas kept rolling them in, scoring four and five runs in the second and third innings respectively. Gibson’s second-inning home run scored both Haydi Bugarin and Sydney Parr after the duo reached on consecutive base hits.
Sophomore catcher Kayla Green did her part in the win as well, with an RBI sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Warrick from third for the second time that night.
The Razorbacks loaded the bases in the third inning for Gibson, and with Bugarin, Parr, and McEwen on base – Gibson soared one out way over the fence, securing her grand slam in poetic fashion and giving the Hogs a 12-3 lead over the Cougars.
The fourth inning brought more theatrics to Bogle Park as juniors Ryan Jackson and Aly Manzo teamed up for back-to-back triples to right field both taking the second pitch from SIUE’s Corrina Rivas deep down the line.
After Manzo scored on a wild pitch, Gibson stepped up and did the unthinkable, unleashing on her fourth and final trip around the bases, this time a solo home run on a 3-1 count.
The 12-run victory was the Hog’s second match of the day, after battling Drake and dropping the match up, 3-1.
Arkansas struggled offensive against the Bulldogs, whose starting pitcher, Nicole Newman threw a complete seven innings, striking out 11 Hogs and giving up only three hits.
The Hogs’ lone run came in the fifth inning, when sophomore second baseman Nicole Duncan led off with a hit-by-pitch call and scored off the bat of McEwen whose hard-hit ball to right center was just out of reach for the Bulldog defense.
Up Next
Arkansas returns to Bogle Park on Sunday to close out the Razorback Invitational with a 12:15 pm first pitch against IUPUI.
Following this weekend, the Hogs will host the Woo Pig Classic, starting Thursday at Bogle Park.
