Arkansas coach Mike Anderson met with the media Monday to talk about Saturday night’s win, Kennedy leaving Rebels
Fassi, fourth-ranked Hogs hold lead at Puerto Rico Invitational
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Maria Fassi and fourth-ranked Arkansas remain in first place after second round action at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic in San Juan. Puerto Rico, on Monday.
Players battled windy conditions on the Ocean Course but Fassi finished in the lead for the second consecutive day shooting 143 (68–75).
The Razorbacks lead the team competition by five strokes over No. 26 Iowa State. Arkansas is in the clubhouse with a two-round 586 (284–302).
Junior Dylan Kim remains in the top five, tied for fifth overall with a 147 (71–76), followed by senior Alana Uriell shooting 149 (72–77).
Freshman Maria Hoyos is tied for 13th carding a 150 (73–77) with sophomore Kaylee Benton in 37th with 155 (78–77). Senior Jordy LaBarbera tied for 43rd with 158 (84–74).
Lineup
| PLACE | NAME | SCORE | TO PAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maria Fassi | 68–75—143 | +1 |
| T5 | Dylan Kim | 71–76—147 | +5 |
| T11 | Alana Uriell | 72–77—149 | +7 |
| T13 | Maria Hoyos | 73–77—150 | +8 |
| 37 | Kaylee Benton | 78–77—155 | +13 |
| T43 | Jordy LaBarbera | 84–74—158 | +16 |
Notes
• Maria Fassi won two tournaments in the fall.
• Arkansas won three titles in the fall.
• Arkansas has produced four medalists at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic (Amanda McCurdy-2006; Stacy Lewis- 2008; Emily Tubert-2013; Maria Fassi-2016).
• Arkansas has won the team title at this event twice (2014, 2015).
From Shauna Taylor
The conditions were tough again.
I think we got a little frustrated at times but at the end of the day, it is about putting ourselves in position to accomplish our goals of being in contention with an opportunity to win on the last day.
That is the position we are in. The conditions are going to be tough again tomorrow and it’s really going to take a group effort.
I’m really proud of Jordy’s rebound today after a tough start. It’s fantastic for her and she did an awesome job out there in the conditions.
Overall, we did some great things but I think we got frustrated with the wind as well. I always say the wind has to be our friend.
WE have to make good educated guesses when the conditions are tough like that. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity tomorrow and I know this team is too. We are excited for a chance to accomplish our goals.
Team Results
| PLACE | TEAM | SCORE | TO PAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas | 284 – 302 — 586 | +18 |
| 2 | Iowa State | 296 – 295 — 591 | +23 |
| 3 | Kent State | 292 – 302 — 594 | +26 |
| 4 | NC State | 299 – 301 — 600 | +32 |
| 5 | TCU | 297 – 306 — 603 | +35 |
| 6 | Colorado | 310 – 299 — 609 | +41 |
| 7 | Maryland | 302 – 308 — 610 | +42 |
| T8 | East Carolina | 303 – 310 — 613 | +45 |
| T8 | Augusta | 305 – 308 — 613 | +45 |
| 10 | Purdue | 312 – 305 — 617 | +49 |
| 11 | Nebraska | 309 – 319 — 628 | +60 |
Hogs back to eighth, tying highest ranking of season
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas moved up two spots to No. 8 in this week’s Road To Nationals weekly rankings, tying its highest ranking of the season.
The Razorbacks have been ranked inside the Top 10 for five straight weeks.
After scoring its second highest score of the season of 196.750 against Auburn, the Razorbacks average a 196.383, less than a tenth behind seventh-ranked Alabama.
Arkansas moved into the top-half among Southeastern Conference programs this week, holding the fourth-best ranking among league foes.
The Razorbacks have scored a 196 or higher in five straight meets since opening the season at LSU. It’s the third-longest such streak in program history, joining streaks from the 2010, 2012 and 2014 seasons.
Event Rankings
Vault: 16th
Senior Braie Speed leads all Razorbacks on vault, ranking as the 20th-best vaulter in the nation, and third best in the SEC, with an average of 9.863. Fellow senior Amanda Wellick comes in at No. 64 in the country to round out the Razorbacks top gymnasts in the event.
Bars: 9th
Arkansas’ stellar performance on bars that saw four different athletes record scores of 9.900, the Razorbacks made its biggest move up five spots to No. 9 in this week’s event rankings. Speed again leads Arkansas as its best athlete in the event, coming in at No. 45 in the country and No. 13 in the SEC.
Beam: 4th
The Razorbacks moved back into the fourth spot this week on the balance beam, a position they’ve held four of the six week’s since the start of the season, having not left the top five in six weeks. Among the individuals, freshman Sophia Carter leads Arkansas as the 29th-best athlete in the event, and No. 8 in the SEC, with sophomore Jessica Yamzon just behind her at No. 31.
Floor: 15th
Leading the Razorbacks on floor is freshman Sarah Shaffer, who has recorded a 9.900 in three straight meets on the event. Shaffer ranks No. 50 in this week’s rankings. Yamzon in just behind her at No. 66 to round out the Razorbacks’ best.
Weekly Rankings | Average
1. Oklahoma – 197.880
2. UCLA – 197.346
3. Utah – 197.292
4. LSU – 197.267
5. Florida – 197.125
6. Michigan – 196.563
7. Alabama – 196.475
8. Arkansas – 196.383
9. Kentucky – 196.321
10. Denver – 196.296
11. Oregon State – 196.270
12. Nebraska – 196.250
13. Washington – 196.196
14. Georgia – 196.188
15. Boise State – 196.115
16. Auburn – 195.939
17. Arizona State – 195.775
18. Minnesota – 195.705
19. BYU – 195.638
20. Missouri – 195.590
21. George Washington – 195.554
22. Iowa State – 195.467
23. California – 195.450
24. Arizona – 195.438
25. Stanford – 195.425
The Razorbacks are back in action this Friday in St. Louis, Missouri for the Mardi Gras Invitational that includes rematches against LSU and Missouri. The meet is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. and will stream live on FloGymnastics (Subscription required).
Hogs split weekend matches with loss to Longhorns
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas fell 6-1 to No. 16 Texas in Austin on Sunday afternoon to split its weekend matches in Texas.
Arkansas started the day by dropping the doubles point with losses on courts two (6-3) and three (6-4). On court one, Jose Salazar and Josh Howard-Tripp were tied 4-4 when the point was clinched.
The Razorbacks would loss five straight courts to give the Longhorns a 6-0 lead and the match. Junior Oscar Mesquida was the first Razorback to fall, losing 6-2, 6-2 to Christian Sigsgaard.
Following him, No. 59 Salazar lost to Yuya Ito 6-2, 7-6 (7-5), snapping his five-match winning streak.
Jose Alonso would fall 6-4, 6-1 to Adrian Ortiz on the last court, just ahead of his brother Pedro Alonso, who fell to No. 37 Leonardo Telles 6-4, 6-3.
Howard-Tripp would drop to No. 54 Harrison Scott 7-6 (7-4), 6-3.
The only set wins of the match for Arkansas came on court five, where freshman Alex Reco defeated No. 85 Rodrigo Banzer in three sets 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 to pick up Arkansas’ lone point of the match.
The Razorbacks return home Friday, March 2 to open Southeastern Conference play against the LSU Tigers at 6 p.m.
No. 16 Texas 6, Arkansas 1
Singles Results – Order of finish (3,1,6,4,2,5)
1. Yuya Ito (UT) def. #59 Jose Salazar (AR) 6-2, 7-6 (7-5)
2. #54 Harrison Scott (UT) def. Josh Howard-Tripp (AR) 7-6 (7-4), 6-3
3. Christian Sigsgaard (UT) def. Oscar Mesquida (AR) 6-2, 6-2
4. #37 Leonardo Telles (UT) def. Pedro Alonso (AR) 6-4, 6-3
5. Alex Reco (AR) def. #85 Rodrigo Banzer (UT) 2-6, 6-1, 6-3
6. Adrian Ortiz (UT) def. Jose Alonso (AR) 6-4, 6-1
Doubles Results – Order of finish (2,3)
1. #4 Rodrigo Banzer/Leonardo Telles (UT) vs. Jose Salazar/Josh Howard-Tripp (AR) 4-4, unfinished
2. #59 Adrian Ortiz/Christian Sigsgaard (UT) def. Adam Sanjurjo/Branch Terrell (AR) 6-3
3. Yuya Ito/Colin Markes (UT) def. Oscar Mesquida/Alex Reco (AR) 6-4
Being patient has Hogs atop leaderboard in Puerto Rico
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Junior Maria Fassi led fourth-ranked Arkansas to the top of the leaderboard in challenging conditions in round one action of the Lady Puerto Rico Classic in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Sunday.
Strong winds on the Ocean Course challenged the field but Fassi posted a 3-under 68 leading the Razorbacks to an eight-shot lead with a 284.
Fassi has two medalist honors this year and won the Lady Puerto Rico Classic as a freshman two seasons ago.
She opened play with a bogey but responded with back-to-back birdies on the front side of the course. She added two more birdies to turn 3-under. She played the back side even and leads the field by three shots.
Razorback teammate Dylan Kim is tied for second with an even-par 71. Kim birdied her final two holes moving up seven spots in the standings.
Senior Alana Uriell is tied for sixth overall shooting a 1-over 72. She also picked up a birdie late her round moving up a spot before the end of the day.
Freshman Maria Hoyos, playing in her second collegiate event, is tied for ninth overall with a 73. Kaylee Benton carded a 78 and is tied for 39th while Jordy LaBarbera shot 84 and is tied for 63rd.
From Shauna Taylor
We are off to a solid start in some tough conditions. The wind blew 25-30 miles an hour all day long along the ocean and it was difficult out there. I’m proud of our group and the way they hung in there. It demands patience and the team who stays the most patient will benefit.
You’re going to have to get balls up and down and you’re going to have to make some putts.
Maria’s 3-under 68 is a fantastic round of golf today. Dylan’s round of even par is great. She birdied two of her last three holes and Alana was 1-over and said she hit six or seven greens so she was grindy as well.
Maria (Hoyos) is playing her second collegiate tournament and did a nice job of fighting the adversity on the golf course.
Overall it was a pretty good effort.
The wind is supposed to continue to blow over the next two days, so we are going to have to execute the word patience and keep giving ourselves opportunities.
Razorback Lineup
| Pos. | Team/Player (seed) | Total | To Par |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas | 284 | E |
| 1 | Maria Fassi (1) | 68 | -3 |
| T2 | Dylan Kim (2) | 71 | E |
| T6 | Alana Uriell (3) | 72 | 1 |
| T9 | Maria Hoyos (6) | 73 | 2 |
| T39 | Kaylee Benton (5) | 78 | 7 |
| T63 | Jordy LaBarbera (4) | 84 | 13 |
Team Results
| Place | Team | Score | To Par |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas | 284 | E |
| 2 | Kent State | 292 | 8 |
| 3 | Iowa State | 296 | 12 |
| 4 | TCU | 297 | 13 |
| 5 | NC State | 299 | 15 |
| 6 | Maryland | 302 | 18 |
| 7 | East Carolina | 303 | 19 |
| 8 | Augusta | 305 | 21 |
| 9 | Nebraska | 309 | 25 |
| 10 | Colorado | 310 | 26 |
| 11 | Purdue | 312 | 28 |
Hogs turn up defense, blast Vanderbilt, 72-54
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas held Vanderbilt to the lowest scoring output of the season by an opponent Saturday, defeating the Commodores, 72-54.
The Razorbacks got back to .500 in SEC play, improving to 17-8 this season, 6-6 in conference action, after beating Vanderbilt for the fifth time in the last six meetings.
Arkansas’ defense was big, holding the Commodores to 25.0 percent from the floor on 14-of-56 shooting.
No Commodore finished in double figures in scoring. Fifty-four points is the second-lowest scoring output by Vanderbilt Commodores, after scoring just 42 against No. 2 Virginia.
The Razorbacks struggled early on the offensive end, uncharacteristically turning the ball over five straight times to start the game.
Despite the slow start, Arkansas weathered the storm and used an 19-2 run midway through the half to take a 26-15 lead.
A big part of Arkansas’ run was the ability to make Vandy uncomfortable. The Razorbacks scored nine points off of nine turnovers in the first half.
The Razorbacks forced Vanderbilt to go a span of 10 minutes, 20 seconds without a made basket. The Commodores combined to shoot 4-of-26 in the opening half, a mark of 15.4 percent.
They missed 15 of their last 16 shots in the half, including a streak of 12 straight, allowing Arkansas to take a 28-21 lead into the locker room.
In the second half, the Razorbacks poured it on. Arkansas went 17-of-32 (.531) from the floor, thanks in large part to creating easy baskets.
Freshman big man Daniel Gafford would finish with 16 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks. Seven blocks in a regular season SEC game ties a school record.
Senior guard Daryl Macon led the Razorbacks with his seventh straight 20-point game, scoring 21 on 7-of-17 shooting, going 4-of-6 from behind the arc. He also pulled down four rebounds and assist on four baskets.
Macon is one 20-point game shy of tying Corliss Williamson for eight straight 20-point efforts in 1993-94.
Barford was the third Razorback to score in double figures, tying Gafford with 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-6 from behind the arc.
It marks the eighth time in the last 11 games that Barford has connected on three or more triples.
Game Notes
• The win gives the Razorbacks 13-plus victories in Bud Walton Arena for the eighth consecutive year and improves Arkansas to 33-6 in its last 39 games inside Bud Walton Arena.
• The Razorbacks are tied for the fourth-most home wins in the country during the Mike Anderson era at 108.
• During the Mike Anderson era, Arkansas is 119-7 in games it led at the half, including 34 consecutive victories.
• Arkansas is 13-1 in Bud Walton Arena this season with a +17.1 average margin of victory, including a +119 scoring margin in the first half.
• Daryl Macon is the first Arkansas player since Corliss Williamson in 1993-94 to score 20-plus points in seven consecutive games. “Big Nasty” had eight straight.
KNWA VIDEO: Anderson on win over Commodores
VIDEO FROM KNWA
Arkansas coach Mike Anderson talked with the media after the Hogs overcame a rocky start for a 72-54 win Saturday night.
Hogs split pair of matches with Wichita State, SE Missouri
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas split a pair of matches Saturday at the George M. Billingsley Tennis Center, falling to Wichita State 4-1 before rebounding with a 4-0 win against Southeast Missouri.
With the win over the Redhawks, Michael Hegarty reached 200 career wins as head coach of the Razorbacks.
In the first match of the day, Arkansas (3-4) won the doubles point, but the Shockers (6-2) responded with four singles wins to earn the team victory.
Later in the afternoon against Southeast Missouri (2-4), Arkansas won doubles once again. The Razorbacks have won the opening point in each of their seven matches this season.
Senior Mia Jurasic was first off in singles, topping Anais Emelie 6-2, 6-1 at No. 3.
The Razorbacks extended their lead to 3-0 when sophomore Natsuho Arakawa made quick work of Maja Lundell 6-0, 6-2 at No. 4.
Junior Ana Oparenovic, the 67th ranked singles player in the nation, delivered the clinch with a 6-2, 6-3 victory at the top spot.
Oparenovic and freshman Tatum Rice went 2-0 in doubles action on the day, bettering their record to a team-best 6-0 at the No. 1 spot this season.
Jurasic and sophomore Giulia Pairone also shined in doubles, winning each of their matches and surrendering only one game. The pair improved to 4-1 in dual matches.
Up Next
Arkansas will return to action against Kansas at 5 p.m. on Feb. 23 at home.
Wichita State 4, Arkansas 1
Singles Competition
1. Giulia Pairone (AR) vs. #73 Fatima Bizhukova (WICH) 7-5, 3-6, unfinished
2. #104 Sandra Honigova (WICH) def. #67 Ana Oparenovic (AR) 6-4, 6-2
3. Giulia Guidetti (WICH) def. Tatum Rice (AR) 6-2, 6-2
4. Gabriela Porubin (WICH) def. Mia Jurasic (AR) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
5. Natsuho Arakawa (AR) vs. Marta Bellucco (WICH) 7-5, 3-6, 1-3, unfinished
6. Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva (WICH) def. Jackie Carr (AR) 6-1, 7-6 (7-0)
Doubles Competition
1. Tatum Rice/Ana Oparenovic (AR) def. Fatima Bizhukova/Gabriela Porubin (WICH) 6-2
2. Giulia Pairone/Mia Jurasic (AR) def. Marta Bellucco/Sandra Honigova (WICH) 6-1
3. Giulia Guidetti/Ting-Ya Hsu (WICH) def. Natsuho Arakawa/Jackie Carr (AR) 5-3
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (3,2,6,4)
Arkansas 4, Southeast Missouri 0
Singles Competition
1. #67 Ana Oparenovic (AR) def. O. Doroshenko (SEMO) 6-2, 6-3
2. Tatum Rice (AR) vs. Kseniya Zonova (SEMO) 7-6 (7-5), 0-1, unfinished
3. Mia Jurasic (AR) def. Anais Emelie (SEMO) 6-2, 6-1
4. Natsuho Arakawa (AR) def. Maja Lundell (SEMO) 6-0, 6-2
5. Peyton Jennings (AR) vs. A. Maya Thompson (SEMO) 2-6, 6-1, unfinished
6. Myrna Olaya (AR) vs. Kelly Sicha (SEMO) 2-6, 1-5, unfinished
Doubles Competition
1. Tatum Rice/Ana Oparenovic (AR) def. Kseniya Zonova/Kelly Sicha (SEMO) 6-2
2. Giulia Pairone/Mia Jurasic (AR) def. O. Doroshenko/A. Maya Thompson (SEMO) 6-0
3. Maja Lundell/Anais Emelie (SEMO) def. Peyton Jennings/Myrna Olaya (AR) 4-3
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (3,4,1)
