???? Monday Halftime Pod — featuring Tyler McComas
Phil Elson & Tye Richardson discuss the hogs dub, interview Tyler McComas, 3 up 3 down and more!
Schultz to compete in diving winter trials in Atlanta
FAYETTEVILLE — Sophomore Brooke Schultz will represent Arkansas at the USA Diving Winter Trials, hosted by Georgia Tech in Atlanta from Dec. 18-21.
Schultz will compete in three events over four days, two of which will be individual events. She will pair with Murphy Bromberg of Texas in the 3-meter synchro on Tuesday, before competing in the 1-meter on Thursday and the 3-meter on Friday.
Preliminary rounds in all three events will take place at 10 a.m., while finals rounds will be in the afternoon.
Schultz will have the opportunity to qualify for the 2019 FINA Grand Prix as well as the 2019 World University Games in all three events.
Rebounds, free throws pace Arkansas to win over Panthers
PHOTOS BY ANDY HODGES | HITTHATLINE.COM
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas battled through a slow start using rebounds and made free throws to get a 71-44 win over Prairie View A&M in Bud Walton Arena on Sunday.
Arkansas, 8-3, tallied 64 rebounds, the most ever under head coach Mike Neighbors, and made 18 free throws against the Panthers (3-5).
Sophomore Taylah Thomas was the only player in double figures with 11 points. Senior Bailey Zimmerman tied her career-best with 11 rebounds and junior Kiara Williams added 10 boards for the Razorbacks.
The Panthers controlled the tempo of the game in the first quarter and raced out to an 18-13 lead in the first 10 minutes. They out-rebounded Arkansas 19-11 to open the game.
Neither team was connecting offensively in the second quarter as they went a combined 0-for-20 until the media timeout. Arkansas started to find the basket and finished the quarter with a 13-4 advantage and a 26-22 lead at the half.
The Razorbacks held the Panthers to single digits for the second consecutive frame, 21-9, in the third quarter and went on to dominate the second half.
Senior Malica Monk and Zimmerman both graduated on Saturday and will wear the SEC Graduate Patch on their uniforms this spring. Monk finished with eight points and needs just eight more to reach 1,000 points for her career.
Notes
• Arkansas Starters: Alexis Tolefree, Malica Monk, Kiara Williams, Jailyn Mason, Chelsea Dungee
• Bailey Zimmerman had nine rebounds in the first half and finished with 11 for the game.
• Both teams had just two field goals in the second period, but Arkansas went 9-12 from the line to take the lead at halftime.
• Arkansas held PVAMU to just four second quarter points and nine points in the third quarter.
• Kiara Williams grabbed double figure rebounds for the fourth time this year and the 11th time for her career. She finished with 10 boards.
• Arkansas had a season high 64 rebounds – the most ever under head coach Mike Neighbors.
Up Next
Arkansas is in the midst of stretch that includes three games in five days. The Razorbacks return to the court Tuesday hosting Nebraska at 7 p.m. and follow up with a road game at Tulsa on Thursday.
Neighbors not surprised at slow start considering finals last week
Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors wasn’t completely surprised or upset with the Hogs’ slow start against Prairie View A&M on Sunday because he understands the finals week pressure.
Zimmerman, Williams talking about win over Panthers on Sunday
Arkansas players Bailey Zimmerman (now a graduate … in 3.5 years) and Kiara Williams on sluggish start before rolling to 71-44 win over Prairie View A&M.
Hopkin dominates at English swimming championships
SHEFFIELD, England — Arkansas’ Anna Hopkin had a banner weekend at the English Swimming Winter Championships, setting four personal bests and being named the English champion in three events.
Hopkin started out strong and was the 100 meter freestyle (52.00) English champion en route to setting her first personal best of the weekend.
Day two saw her compete in two events, where she was the 50 meter freestyle (23.70) English champion and earned a third-place finish in the 100 meter butterfly (58.92).
On the final day of the championships, Hopkin was the 50 meter butterfly English champions (25.94).
Her 50 meter freestyle time would have placed third at the World Championships, while her 100 meter freestyle time would have placed fourth.
“It was great to watch all of Anna’s hard work and success this fall culminate in world-class swims back in her home country in front of her family, former teammates, and national team coaches,” coach Neil Harper said. “She has been so focused and dedicated so I am excited that she will get a little break over the holidays before refocusing and rejoining her teammates for the lead up to the SEC and NCAA Championships.”
Hopkin’s first season with the Razorbacks has been stellar, with the Preston, England native setting seven individual records and two team relay records.
The Hogs will return to the pool after the New Year, with the divers heading to the Georgia Diving Invite from Jan. 4-6.
Both the swimmers and divers will compete against Rice and SMU at a double-dual in Dallas, Texas on Jan. 12.
Hogs hang on to down Texas-San Antonio in North Little Rock, 79-67
NORTH LITTLE ROCK — Isaiah Joe made five 3-pointers and scored 15 points, and Arkansas held off UTSA 79-67 on Saturday night.
Four of Joe’s triples game in the first half, but his second-half shot was key for the Razorback (7-3), who found themselves in an unexpected late back-and-forth contest with the Roadrunners (3-7).
With under 10 minutes to play, the undersized UTSA team led 52-48 and displayed an excellent game plan to shut down forward Daniel Gafford, who was limited to five points at that point.
Reggie Chaney hit a jumper to cut UTSA’s lead to two before Joe’s 3-pointer gave the Hogs a 53-52 lead. Jhivvan Jackson made a free throw to tie it at 53, but the Hogs didn’t trail after that point.
Gafford came alive with some key dunks late to rally the North Little Rock crowd, and finished 13 points and 14 rebounds. Chaney was as a quality understudy, putting up his second 11-point game of the season along with five rebounds and four assists.
Arkansas entered shooting 62.7 percent from the free-throw line, but the Hogs were 27 of 34 (79.4 percent) on Saturday night.
Jalen Harris shot 7-of-8 from the line in the second half to play a part in fending off the Roadrunners, who hit five 3s to the Razorbacks’ one in the second half. The pass-first playmaker finished with 11 points and 10 assists to join Gafford in the double-double club.
Jackson led UTSA with 20 points before fouling out late in the second half. Keaton Wallace added 18 of his own.
The Razorbacks have won their last three North Little Rock games.
FIRST HALF: Arkansas 35 – UTSA 28
• Arkansas scored first, but UTSA led most of the first half. However, Arkansas held the Roadrunners without a field goal for 7:57 – UTSA only scored three points over the span thanks to three free throws. Isaiah Joe made a 3-pointer to tie the game, 19-19 at 5:57. Joe then banked a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give the Razorbacks a 22-19 advantage with 5:16 left in the first half.
• The Roadrunner drought ended when Keaton Wallace hit a 3-pointer off an offensive rebound, tying the game at 23-23.
• Jalen Harris answered with a jumper in the lane as the shot clock expired to start a 10-0 run to put the Razorbacks up 33-23 with 1:25 left.
• Desi Sills made two free throws with six-tenths of a second left to provide the 35-28 Razorback halftime score.
SECOND HALF: Arkansas makes free throws down the stretch; Chaney provides a second-half spark.
• Arkansas maintained the lead through the first 10 minutes of the second half until Keaton Wallace made a 3-pointer with 10:24 left to give UTSA a 50-48 lead.
• Jalen Harris made a pair of free throws with 7:49 left to put the Razorbacks up two, 55-53, and never relinquished the lead.
• However, UTSA got to within two, 64-62, with 2:23 left on a Jhivan Jackson 3-pointer.
• From that point, Arkansas made 12-of-14 from the line to help put the game away.
• Reggie Chaney scored 10 of his 11 points in the second half. He finished the night adding five rebounds, four assists, three blocked shots and four steals.
• Daniel Gafford also played well in the second half, getting 11 of his 13 points and eight of his 14 boards.
GAME NOTES:
• Arkansas starters for the ninth straight game were Isaiah Joe (G) – Jalen Harris (G) – Mason Jones (G) – Adrio Bailey (F) – Daniel Gafford (F).
• Arkansas controlled the tip and Isaiah Joe scored the first points, a 3-pointers at the 19:04 mark.
• This was the sixth meeting between Arkansas and UTSA. The Razorbacks won the first five meetings, including a 4-0 mark in the state of Arkansas – 3-0 in Fayetteville and 1-0 in Little Rock. The first game of the series – Nov. 30, 1981 – was a Razorback win in San Antonio, which was the first game in the Roadrunners’ program history.
• Jalen Harris was 7-of-8 from the free throw line, all in the second half. Isaiah Joe was 6-of-6 from the line, also all in the second half.
• Reggie Chaney posted career highs in points (11), assists (4), blocked shots (3, tied) and steals (4).
• Daniel Gafford’s 14 rebounds were a career-high by two. Three times this season and five times in his career he had 12 rebounds.
• Jalen Harris, who was second in the NCAA in assist-to-turnover ratio entering the game, had 10 assists and zero turnovers in 34 minutes. He was also seventh in the NCAA in assists entering the game with a 7.3 average.
• Isaiah Joe entered the game fifth in the NCAA in 3-pointers made per game (4.13) but improved on that by making 5-of-6 from beyond the arc.
• Four Razorbacks scored in double figures (Isaiah Joe with 21 points, Daniel Gafford with 13, Jalen Harris with 11 and Reggie Chaney with 11). Isaiah Joe and Daniel Gafford are the only Razorbacks to score in double figures in all nine games this season.
Anderson on team learning a little more in close win
Razorbacks coach Mike Anderson talked with the media after the 79-67 win over Texas-San Antonio where the Hogs had to hit key free throws and make plays late for the win.
Harris, Joe after 79-67 win over Texas-San Antonio in NLR
Arkansas players Jalen Harris and Isaiah Joe talked with the media after taking down the Roadrunners on Saturday at Verizon Arena behind key free throws at end of game.
Henson on Hogs just being too strong in UTSA’s 79-67 loss
Texas-San Antonio coach Steven Henson talked after the game about Arkansas’ strengths with Daniel Gafford, Isaiah Joe and Jalen Harris that created problems for the Roadrunners.
