FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas junior Alexis Tolefree started fast and senior Malica Monk finished strong leading the Razorback women’s basketball team to a 72-61 win over Alabama in Bud Walton Arena on Thursday.

Arkansas (15-5, 4-2 SEC) has won three in a row after a 39-point second half against the Crimson Tide (10-10, 2-5 SEC).

Tolefree came out of the gates firing, scoring nine of her 13 points in the first quarter. Monk finished with a team-high 16 points, 11 of which she scored in the second half.

The steady for Arkansas was the play of sophomore Taylah Thomas. Thomas tied her career-high with 15 points and had seven rebounds.

Arkansas jetted out to a 15-3 lead in the first quarter and seemed to be in control from the opening tip but Bama managed to rally and close within four points by the end of the first half.

The Razorbacks took a seven-point, 53-46, lead into the final frame, but Alabama kept hanging around through the first part of the period.

Arkansas stepped on the gas with a 13-2 run while holding the visitors to a 1-for-10 performance stretching the lead to as many as 17 with under a minute to play en route to the victory.

The Razorbacks travel to Florida (5-14, 1-5 SEC) on Sunday and return home hosting Georgia (12-7, 3-3 SEC) on Thursday.

Notes

• Arkansas Starters: Alexis Tolefree, Malica Monk, Kiara Williams, Jailyn Mason, Chelsea Dungee

• The Razorbacks have forced double figure turnovers by their opponent in every game this year.

• Arkansas has won the third quarter 11 times including a 20-17 advantage over Alabama.

• Arkansas has had more or the same number of 3-point field goals in 16 games this season but Alabama had the 10-8 advantage on Thursday.

• Malica Monk has scored in double figures in 16 games … Alexis Tolefree has been in double digits in 12 games … Taylah Thomas has scored double digits in four games.

• Arkansas has won the third quarter 11 times … the fourth quarter 16 times … and the second half 13 times this year.