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Two more wins in Florida gives Hogs program-best start

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. — Arkansas posted a pair of five-inning wins Saturday at the Madeira Beach Invitational to improve to 9-0 this season which marks the best start in program history.

The Razorbacks tallied five home runs on the day including two off the bat of freshman catcher Kayla Green while Autumn Storms and Mary Haff each recorded a win in the circle.

Up Next
Arkansas is set to close out the Madeira Beach Invitational on Sunday morning against McNeese.

First pitch of the weekend finale is scheduled for 8 a.m. on Field 3 at R.O.C. Park. Sunday’s game will be the first meeting between Arkansas and McNeese since the 1999 season.

Game 1: Arkansas 10, Delaware 1 (5 inn.) | Box Score

The Razorbacks wasted no time in jumping out to an early — and big — lead.

With senior Autumn Buczek on first after a lead-off bunt single, freshman Hannah McEwen lined an RBI triple into the corner in right field to plate Arkansas’ first of nine first-inning runs.

A couple of two-run homers, one by Green and another by McEwen, were the big shots in the frame. Eight hits, one sacrifice fly and an error later, the Razorbacks led 9-0 heading into the second.

In the circle, Storms faced a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the second inning but limited the damage to just one run for the Blue Hens.

Freshman Linnie Malkin pushed the advantage back to nine runs with a solo homer in the bottom of the second inning. The home run was her third of the season, and Arkansas’ third of the game.

Delaware threatened to chip away at its deficit with two on and nobody out in the fourth but Storms responded with a couple ground balls and a strikeout to keep a run from crossing the plate.

Junior Katie Warrick worked the fifth inning and secured the run-rule victory by inducing a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.

Game 2: Arkansas 9, Villanova 0 (5 inn.) | Box Score

On her way to a one-hit performance, Haff was in full control in the circle and struck out seven of the first nine hitters she faced.

She worked another 1-2-3 inning in the fourth with the help of a diving catch by Loren Krzysko in center field and two ground balls to the left side of the infield.

Haff was one out away from a perfect game but an error followed by a base hit up the middle gave Villanova two on but the freshman pitcher got the next hitter to pop out to end the game.

While their pitcher was keeping the opposing bats quiet, the Razorbacks broke it open with a five-run third frame featuring a three-run shot by Krzysko.

Later in the inning, Sydney Parr had a two-run single to center to cap her team’s scoring.

She finished the game with two hits and three RBI against the Wildcats. Green hit her second home run of the day, a solo shot, in Arkansas’ three-run fourth inning.

Sexton reportedly will play, despite allegations

Andy Hodges
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Early Friday morning Yahoo Sports released a blockbuster story that has the world of college athletics buzzing.

Implicated in the main story was Alabama point guard Collin Sexton and Crimson Tide coach Avery Johnson addressed in a video from AL.com later Friday concerning his status for the game with Arkansas on Saturday.

Sexton was named in a Yahoo Sports report published Friday morning on a list of players who allegedly had family members take meals from an agent.

The suburban Atlanta product was suspended for the season opener as part of the FBI investigation that’s also the basis for the latest report.

Johnson said Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne is “leading the charge” looking into the matter along with compliance.

Regardless of how the Crimson Tide spin it, the entire matter is a distraction for them. He is the leading scorer for them, averaging over 18 points a game.

The story went off like a grenade throughout college athletics and is likely to have far-reaching implications.

The documents tie some of the biggest names and programs in the sport to activity that appears to violate the NCAA’s amateurism rules. This could end up casting a pall over the NCAA tournament because of eligibility issues. There’s potential impermissible benefits and preferential treatment for players and families of players at Duke, North Carolina, Texas, Kentucky, Michigan State, USC, Alabama and a host of other schools. The documents link some of the sport’s biggest current stars – Michigan State’s Miles Bridges, Alabama’s Collin Sexton and Duke’s Wendell Carter – to specific potential extra benefits for either the athletes or their family members. The amounts tied to players in the case range from basic meals to tens of thousands of dollars.

The NCAA is taking the approach of acting surprised this is all going on.

No, seriously.

The president of the kangaroo court that has progressively lost control of big-time college athletics over the last several decades, Mark Emmert, released a statement Friday morning after the story broke:

“These allegations, if true, point to systematic failures that must be fixed and fixed now if we want college sports in America. Simply put, people who engage in this kind of behavior have no place in college sports. They are an affront to all those who play by the rules,” the statement read. “Following the Southern District of New York’s indictments last year, the NCAA Board of Governors and I formed the independent Commission on College Basketball, chaired by Condoleezza Rice, to provide recommendations on how to clean up the sport. With these latest allegations, it’s clear this work is more important now than ever. The Board and I are completely committed to making transformational changes to the game and ensuring all involved in college basketball do so with integrity. We also will continue to cooperate with the efforts of federal prosecutors to identify and punish the unscrupulous parties seeking to exploit the system through criminal acts.”

Considering the NCAA hasn’t won a case in courtroom (they usually just stall all cases until the other party just gives up or dies), this could be the way they revamp investigations.

Let’s face it, over the last several years they have over-reached on investigations (Penn State), had to investigate their own investigative practices (Miami and Nevin Shapiro) and just flat screwed up too many others to start listing.

The guess here is this won’t stop with basketball and there’s no telling how high this will reach.

Apparently there is an FBI wiretap of Arizona’s coach being on a phone call where a six-figure amount was being discussed to land a certain player.

College basketball blue-bloods Kentucky and Duke are being dragged into the discussion now, too.

Now Arkansas will play an Alabama team that is dealing with a distraction and there’s not really any telling whaat their frame of mind will be at 5 p.m. Saturday.

And it could make for a very interesting NCAA Tournament.

McEwen, Bugarin pace offense in run-rule wins in Florida

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. — Arkansas improved to 7-0 with run-rule victories Friday evening over Marist and Manhattan at the Madeira Beach Invitational.

Helping the team to a season-high 15 runs, four Razorbacks tallied multi-hit performances including freshman Hannah McEwen who recorded five RBI and a grand slam against Marist.

Junior Haydi Bugarin hit a home run and drove in five runs of her own in Arkansas’ win over Manhattan.

Up Next
Day two of the Madeira Beach Invitational begins at 10 a.m. with a game against Delaware which will mark the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

The Razorbacks will follow with a game against Villanova at 12:30 p.m. Both are scheduled for Field 3 at R.O.C. Park.

Game 1: Arkansas 15, Marist 3 (6 inn.) | Box Score

McEwen ripped a double down the line in right field to open the scoring, plating senior Autumn Buczek who led off the game with a walk.

Later in the first, a fielder’s choice grounder by Tori Cooper brought McEwen home from third.

The Razorbacks took a 3-0 advantage in the third inning on an RBI double off the bat of freshman Kayla Green that allowed Cooper to score.

Reigning SEC Freshman of the Week, Mary Haff picked up where she left off last weekend by striking out seven through the first three innings.

She finished the game with nine strikeouts and no walks in five innings of work. Haff, pitching back in her home state, improved to 4-0 with the win.

The Razorbacks stretched its lead to seven with McEwen’s grand slam in the fourth inning. With runners on first and second, Buczek legged out an infield single to load the bases for McEwen.

In control of the game, Arkansas busted things open with an eight-run sixth frame behind five hits and five walks issued by Marist pitching. Green picked up her second and third RBI with a double in the outburst.

Game 2: Arkansas 9, Manhattan 1 (6 inn.) | Box Score

The Razorbacks left seven runners on base through the first three innings including a bases-loaded, one-out threat in the opening frame.

Meanwhile, sophomore Autumn Storms was keeping the Jaspers quiet by retiring the first six hitters of the game with the help of three strikeouts.

In the third, Manhattan loaded the bases with no outs but a 1-2-3 double play followed by a ground ball to shortstop helped Storms and the Razorbacks get out of the inning unscathed.

Bugarin supplied the timely hit Arkansas had been missing when she launched a two-run shot to left field in the fourth, her second home run of the season.

She added a two-run double down the line in the fifth inning, pushing the Razorbacks’ lead to 4-0 when pinch runners Sydney Parr and Jada Dotson crossed the plate.

After a four-run fifth inning, the lead was up to 6-0 for Storms.

Manhattan got on the scoreboard with a run in the top of the sixth inning but the Razorbacks responded with three runs in the home half of the inning to end the game.

Ashley Diaz and Bugarin posted back-to-back RBI singles for an 8-1 advantage.

With the bases loaded, McEwen grounded a ball to first base but the throw home for the would-be forced out was bounced to the plate allowing Diaz to score the game-ending run.

Razorbacks rally to upend No. 15 Kansas on Friday

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Freshman Tatum Rice came through in three sets to power Arkansas past No. 15 Kansas 4-3 on Friday night at George M. Billingsley Tennis Center.

Rice, a native of Hot Springs, Arkansas, defeated Maria Toran Ribes 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 at No. 4 singles for her 10th overall singles victory of the season.

The Jayhawks (4-3) won a close doubles point, getting victories at No. 2 and No. 3. Rice and junior Ana Oparenovic bettered their record to 7-0 in dual matches with their 6-4 win at No. 1.

Momentum shifted in singles play as the Razorbacks (4-4) won first three matches to take a 3-1 lead.

No. 76 Oparenovic was first off the court, making quick work of her opponent 6-0, 6-1.

Sophomore Giulia Pairone improved to 6-0 on the season with her 6-1, 6-2 victory at the top spot.

Senior Mia Jurasic also was a straight-sets winner at No. 3, 6-4, 6-1.

The Jayhawks answered quickly with wins at the No. 5 and No. 6 positions, but with all eyes on the final court, Rice delivered the clinching victory.

Up Next
Arkansas will welcome Purdue to Fayetteville on Sunday for an 11 a.m. CT match.

Mistakes costly for Hogs in first loss of season

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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SAN DIEGO, Calif. — No. 3 Arkansas couldn’t escape a couple of costly errors Friday afternoon as Cal Poly handed Arkansas its first loss of the 2018 season, 4-3, on the first day of the Tony Gwynn Legacy Tournament.

With the Mustangs (2-3) leading 3-1 in the seventh inning, sophomore Dominic Fletcher provided a big two-run home run to tie the game up and, seemingly, give the Hogs (4-1) the momentum it needed for the final innings.

Unfortunately, Cal Poly manufactured the winning run in the top of the ninth as pinch hitter Blake Wagenseller hit a lead-off single and eventually scored after a sacrifice bunt and a two-out single off junior right-hander Jake Reindl.

The Hogs did get another strong start from junior Blaine Knight, who went six innings, allowing just one earned run on five hits and totaling a season-high seven strikeouts on 88 pitches.

Combined in his two starts this year, Knight has allowed just five hits, walked two while striking out 11 and letting just one run score.

It’s easily his best start to a season in his career as his 0.82 ERA after two starts is expected to be among the SEC’s best at the end of week two.

Offensively, Arkansas struggled on Friday against Cal Poly starter Michael Clark, but was finally able to get to him in the sixth inning, putting two runners on via catcher’s interference and a single.

Four of the Razorbacks’ eight hits in the game came against Clark, but they were only able to scratch across one run.

Senior Luke Bonfield delivered the lone extra-base hit off Clark in the fourth inning. He finished the game 2-for-3, his first multi-hit game of the season and extended his hitting streak to five games.

Fellow senior Carson Shaddy was the only other Razorback to record more than one hit as he went 2-for-4 with a run scored.

Moments that mattered

Cal Poly struck first in the second inning by getting an RBI double by catcher Nick Meyer.

It would be the most Knight had to labor through an inning as he needed 21 pitches to get out of the frame. For the rest of his outing, he gave up just a lone walk and two singles.

Arkansas tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth as Eric Cole was driven in on a groundout by Heston Kjerstad. Kjerstad finished the game 1-for-4 and has at least one RBI in four of this season’s five games.

In the top half of the seventh inning, relief pitcher Jackson Rutledge replaced Knight and gave up a two-out walk to Scott Ogrin before committing two errors on the same play that led to two more runs for the Mustangs.

After Dylan Doherty hit a slow grounder down the first base line, Rutledge came off the mound to make the play.

However, he bobbled the ball on the pickup and then threw it away after the runner had already reached the bag, allowing Ogrin to score. Doherty scored during the next at-bat on a wild pitch from Bryce Bonnin.

Arkansas did respond in the bottom half of the seventh after Shaddy secured his second hit of the day and was driven in on Fletcher’s two-out homer.

Fletcher now joins Shaddy as the only two Razorbacks with two home runs this year after coming into the game with just one hit in his last eight at-bats.

Reindl was brought in out of the bullpen to try and keep the game tied over the eighth and ninth innings.

Unfortunately, Cal Poly scored the go-ahead run in the ninth inning and Arkansas went down in order in the bottom half of the frame.

Up Next

The Razorbacks will play its second game of the Tony Gwynn Legacy on Saturday against one of the hosts in San Diego State.

First pitch is slated for 8 p.m. CT and will be televised on Cox Sports.

All games this week will be televised regionally by Cox Sports and can be heard on the radio on the Razorback Sports Network from IMG.

Razorbacks post highest road score of season at Florida

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Arkansas recorded its highest road score of the season at No. 5 Florida as the Razorbacks fell to the Gators 197.725-196.875 in Gainesville.

First Rotation: Florida Vault: 49.525, Arkansas Bars: 49.375
Arkansas posted its highest score on bars in a road dual meet as the Razorbacks got to a fast start and five Razorbacks recorded scores of 9.850 or higher. Freshman Sarah Shaffer and senior Braie Speed led the Razorback and recorded 9.900’s each. Freshman Sydney Laird set a new career high with a 9.875 in the three spot. Senior Amanda Wellick and sophomore Jessica Yamzon each posted a 9.850 as the Razorbacks trailed by two tenths heading to the second rotation.

“We fought for every detail we went for,” said Wellick. “It’s not exactly the result we wanted, but we went in and went hard and we fought for every little thing.”

Second Rotation: Florida Bars: 49.525, Arkansas Vault: 49.125
Arkansas posted its second highest vault score of the season as the Razorbacks finished strong after a slow start in the second rotation, led by Speed who recorded a new career high and tallied a 9.925. Shaffer and Wellick each posted a 9.875 in the third and fourth spot to round out Arkansas’ leaders on the event.

Third Rotation: Florida Beam: 49.575, Arkansas Floor: 49.225
Shaffer posted her second score over 9.900 of the night with a 9.925 as she set a new career high on the event. Sophomore Michaela Burton tallied the Razorbacks’ second highest score with a 9.875, tying her highest score of the season on the floor. Yamzon and freshman Sophia Carter each posted 9.825’s to round out Arkansas’ best. Wellick was inserted into the lineup and had her first all-around performance of the season, tallying a 39.200.

“I was really excited to get back on the floor, it used to be my favorite event,” said Wellick. “The first time doing it this season was really exciting.”

Fourth Rotation: Arkansas Beam: 49.150, Florida Floor: 49.100
Yamzon got Arkansas off to another fast start on the beam, posting a 9.850, the first of four scores over 9.825 for the Razorbacks, leading Arkansas to its only team event title of the night. Anchor Michaela Burton posted the Razorbacks highest score with a 9.900 to give the Razorbacks a 49.150 on the event and a final score of 196.875.

Up Next 
The Razorbacks return home to Barnhill Arena for the first time in three weeks as Arkansas hosts the Arizona Wildcats. The Meet is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 5:30.

Arkansas sending seven to Columbia for last chance

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — Seven Arkansas swimmers will compete at the NCAA Last Chance meet in Columbia, Missouri, this weekend, as each try to cut time in hopes of qualifying for the NCAA Championships.

Prelims will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday morning from the Mizzou Aquatic Center on the campus of the University of Missouri. Finals will follow at 5 p.m.

The Razorbacks headed to Columbia are seniors Chelsea Tatlow, Jessie Garrison, Chloe Hannam, Olivia Weekley, juniors Madison Strathman and Marlena Pigliacampi, along with sophomore Ayumi Macias.

Last week in College Station, Texas, the Razorbacks finished 10th at the 2018 SEC Swimming and Diving Championships.

As a team, Arkansas combined for 28 NCAA ‘B’ cuts, along with one A-finals appearance, three B-finals appearances and six C-finals appearances.

Macias earned one B-finals appearance in the 500 free, finishing 10th overall. Garrison earned her spot in the 200 fly B-final, finishing 12th overall, while Pigliacampi qualified for the C-final, finishing 19th overall.

Strathman qualified for the C-final in the 100 breast, finishing 18th. Hannam earned two B-finals appearances, finishing 23rd overall in the 400 IM and 12th overall in the 200 back.

Live results will be available on Meet Mobile.

ORDER OF EVENTS
Saturday, Feb. 24
10 a.m. – Prelims
200 free relay
10 minute break
500 free
100 fly
100 back
5 minute break
100 breast
100 free
400 IM
10 minute break
400 medley relay

5 p.m. – Finals
200 free relay
10 minute break
500 free
100 fly
100 back
5 minute break
100 breast
100 free
400 IM
10 minute break
400 medley relay

Sunday, Feb. 25
10 a.m. – Prelims
200 medley relay
10 minute break
50 free
200 fly
5 minute break
200 back
200 free
200 breast
200 IM
10 minute break
400 free relay

5 p.m. – Finals
200 medley relay
10 minute break
1650 free
50 free
200 fly
5 minute break
200 back
200 free
200 breast
200 IM
10 minute break
400 free relay

Neighbors’ first regular season ends Sunday at Vanderbilt

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas travels to Vanderbilt for the final regular season Southeastern Conference contest on Sunday.

Scouting Arkansas

The game between Arkansas (12-16, 3-12 SEC) and Vanderbilt (6-23, 2-13 SEC) is scheduled for a 2 p.m. tip and airs online on the SECN+.

Records have fallen under the direction of head coach Mike Neighbors this season. Arkansas likes to shoot the 3-pointer and, as a result, ranks among the SEC and NCAA leaders from distance.

The Razorbacks enter the game with 210 made 3-point field goals, ranking first for single-season makes in program history.

This year’s team also holds the record with 724 3-point field goal attempts, 66 more attempts than the second-best mark in four fewer games.

Graduate student Devin Cosper leads Arkansas from distance with 59 makes and is second on the team averaging 14.2 ppg in her final season.

Junior Malica Monk remains out in front averaging 15.9 ppg and sophomore Jailyn Mason checks in with 10.9 ppg this season.

Scouting Vanderbilt

The Commodores faced the sixth toughest schedule in the country this year and their record reflects that with just six wins and two victories in conference play.

They have three players averaging double figures paced by Chelsie Hall at 12.6 ppg. Rachel Bell averages 10.7 ppg and Christa Reed averages 10.6 ppg this season.

Arkansas is 3-2 against the Commodores in recent games and was one possession shy of a fourth win last year.

The Razorbacks erased a 12-point Vanderbilt lead to challenge for the win in the final quarter but dropped the game, 66-64, in Nashville.

If the season ended today, the Razorbacks and Commodores would meet in game one of the SEC Tournament.

That could change after all of Sunday’s contests are completed.

Up Next

The Razorbacks are currently the 12th seed heading into the final game at Vanderbilt.

The final day’s games will determine the final seed for the SEC Tournament and Arkansas has a shot at that spot. Round one begins on Wednesday with two games beginning at 11 a.m.

Top-ranked Razorbacks shooting for 12th straight title

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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COLLEGE STATION, Texas — It’s a new season for No. 1 Arkansas, but the mission remains the same — win the conference championship.

Lance Harter’s squad will pursue its 12th consecutive Southeastern Conference victory this weekend, taking on the 2018 SEC Indoor Championships in College Station on Feb. 24-25.

The event will be televised live on the SEC network for the first time beginning at 5 p.m. CT on Sunday, Feb. 25. Fans will be able to live stream Saturday’s action on the SEC Network plus beginning at 2:55 p.m. The broadcast talent includes Dwight Stones, Larry Rawson, Jill Montgomery and John Anderson.

Nationally Ranked SEC Teams

The SEC almost accounts for half of the USTFCCCA NCAA National Rankings top-25 list with 10 teams occupying spots in the most recent edition of the poll

The Razorbacks lead the way at No. 1 but are closely trailed by No. 3 Kentucky and No. 4 Georgia. Elsewhere inside the top-10, LSU, Texas A&M and Florida rank at 6-7-8, respectively.

Regional rival Missouri is at No. 12 trailed by No. 14 Tennessee and No. 17 Alabama, while Mississippi State rounds out the group at 24.

SEC Streak

A perpetually formidable team at the conference and national levels, Arkansas took hold of the league at the 2014 SEC Outdoor Championships and has yet to loosen its grip.

Harter’s 2017 cross country team began another charge for an SEC Triple Crown this past fall in College Station and his track and field team looks to keep it going.

A victory this weekend would put the Hogs on the path for their fourth-consecutive SEC Triple Crown.

  • 2016 SEC Indoor Results: Arkansas (110), LSU (67) | Margin of Victory: 43
  • 2017 SEC Indoor Results: Arkansas (98), Alabama (93) | Margin of Victory: 12.5

All-SEC Returners
Back from the 2017 conference roster are pentathlon runner-up Taliyah Brooks, pole vault champion Tori (Weeks) Hoggard, pole vault runner-up Lexi (Weeks) Jacobus and 5K champion and 3K runner-up Taylor Werner.

Arkansas will kick off the meet tomorrow at 11:15 a.m. with Brooks on a mission for gold this year in the pentathlon.

Events To Watch (Saturday):

• 11:15 a.m. / 4:30 p.m. | Heptathlon/Long Jump
Featured Razorback: Taliyah Brooks (PR: 4,580 points / 6.57m/21-6 3/4)

• 3 p.m. | Pole Vault
Featured Razorback: Lexi Jacobus (PR: 4.64m/15-2 3/4)

• 3:10 p.m. / 6:15 p.m. | 60 Meter Hurdles/200 Meters Prelims
Featured Razorback: Payton Chadwick (PR: 8.09/22.99)

• 3:35 p.m. | 60 Meters Prelims
Featured Razorback: Jada Baylark (PR: 7.22)

• 3:35 p.m. | Mile Prelims
Featured Razorback: Nikki Hiltz (PR: 4:33.44)

• 7:10 p.m. | 3,000 Meters
Featured Razorback: Taylor Werner (PR: 9:06.34)

Hogs look to get back on track on road at Alabama

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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FAYETTEVILLE — Entering the final stretch of the regular season, Arkansas travels to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Saturday in search of four straight wins against the Crimson Tide.

The Rundown
Opponent: Alabama Crimson Tide (17-11, 8-7 SEC)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 25
Site: Coleman Coliseum (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Tip-off: 5:00 p.m. CT
TV: SEC Network | WatchESPN
Live Stats: Click Here
Sirius/XM Radio: 137/190

The #Fastest40 Facts

• The Razorbacks are searching for back-to-back road conference wins for the eighth time in the last five years.

• For the first time in 10 years, Arkansas is 3-0 in its last three games against ranked teams, including last Saturday’s 19-point win against No. 21 Texas A&M.

• Daniel Gafford earned his third SEC Freshman of the Week honor on Monday. He joins NBA players Bobby Portis and Patrick Beverley as the only Razorbacks to ever earn the honor three times.

• During the last five years, the Razorbacks have posted a 33-15 (.687) regular season record in the months of February and March.

• Arkansas has won 36 consecutive games in which it has led at halftime. During Mike Anderson era, the Razorbacks are 121-7 when leading at the intermission.

• Jaylen Barford and Daryl Macon are the only two players in the SEC to rank in the top 10 in points per game, three-point FG percentage and FG percentage.

• Daryl Macon has nine 20-point performances in the last 10 games. His streak of seven straight put him alongside Corliss Williamson as the only players to do so since the Razorbacks joined the SEC.

• Arkansas is 6-0 this season when Daryl Macon and Jaylen Barford both score 20+ points in the same game, including 5-0 in SEC play. The Razorbacks are 8-1 the duo combines for 40 points.

A Win Would…

• Give the Razorbacks back-to-back wins in Tuscaloosa for the first time in 21 years.

• Be Arkansas’ 2nd four-game winning streak (06-08) against Alabama in the all-time series that dates back to 1948.

• Be the Razorbacks’ ninth SEC road victory during the last two seasons.

• Give Arkansas 20+ wins in four of the last six years.

First postseason test coming up for third-ranked Razorbacks

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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COLLEGE STATION, Texas — No. 3 Arkansas will be in the hunt for its 23rd Southeastern Conference Indoor title this weekend in College Station, competing at the 2018 SEC Indoor Championships, Feb. 24-25, at the Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium.

The event will be televised live on the SEC network for the first time beginning at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 25. Fans will be able to live stream Saturday’s action on the SEC Network plus beginning at 2:55 p.m. The broadcast talent includes Dwight Stones, Larry Rawson, Jill Montgomery and John Anderson.

Nationally Ranked SEC Teams

In the most recent USTFCCCA NCAA National Rankings, eight SEC programs were among the top-25 best teams in the country led by No. 2 Florida, No. 3 Arkansas and No. 5 Georgia.

Just out of the top-five, Texas A&M checked in at No. 7, Alabama at No. 8 and Kentucky at No. 11. South Carolina and Auburn rounded out the list ranked 23rd and 25th, respectively.

Indoor Streak

Arkansas looks to extend it’s indoor conference dominance to three championships in-a-row, having won the 2016 crown at home in Fayetteville, Arkansas and last year’s crown on the road in Nashville.

• 2016 SEC Indoor Results: Arkansas (109), Texas A&M (85.83) | Margin of Victory: 23.17

• 2017 SEC Indoor Results: Arkansas (98), Alabama (93) | Margin of Victory: 5

All-SEC Returners

The Razorbacks return three individual All-SEC performers from the 2017 squad including Jack Bruce (3,000), Kenzo Cotton (60) and Obi Igbokwe (400).

Bruce won gold at 3,000 meters last year, collecting 10 points for Arkansas on the first day of competition.

He then went on to anchor Arkansas’ distance medley relay team to a silver medal to close out the meet.

Events To Watch (Saturday):

• 3:20 p.m. / 5:50 p.m. | 60/200 Meters Prelims
Featured Razorback: Kenzo Cotton (PR: 6.56/20.65)

• 4:20 p.m. | 400 Meters Prelims 
Featured Razorback: Obi Igbokwe (PR: 45.38)

• 4:30 p.m. | Long Jump 
Featured Razorback: Laquan Nairn (PR: 7.87m/25-10)

• 4:30 p.m. | High Jump 
Featured Razorback: Jah-Nhai Perinchief (PR: 2.22m/7-3 1/4)

• 6:45 p.m. | 3,000 Meters
Featured Razorback: Cameron Griffith (PR: 7:49.78)

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