Arkansas and Southeast Missouri had to deal with rain that continued but the field was too slick to keep going after five innings in 11-4 Hogs’ win.
Arkansas gets more shots, but falls to Saint Louis, 3-1
Arkansas (10-3, 7-1 SEC) fell on Sunday afternoon to Saint Louis (5-0) by a score of 3-1. Arkansas outshot the Billikens by a 15-6 margin and put six of those on frame.
Game notes
• Saint Louis got on the board after Sophia Stram headed in a corner taken by Hannah Friedrich in the 19th-minute.
• Hannah Larson made it 2-0 SLU just three minutes after half off another cross into the box by the Billikens.
• Parker Goins got the Hogs on the board in the 56th-minute. Ava Tankersley played Goins into space and the senior beat the Saint Louis ‘keeper near post for her sixth goal of the year.
• Emily Groark netted another insurance goal for the Billikens off a strike from the center of the box with just under two minutes to play in the match.
From Colby Hale:
“First, congrats to Saint Louis. It is not easy to come here and win. I thought we got beat in a lot of the areas we normally pride ourselves in. We have a few weeks to get back to some of that and grow!”
Next game
The Razorbacks have a break before an in-state matchup at Arkansas State on Sat., March 20. First kick in Jonesboro is set for 1 p.m.
Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.
Musselman previews quick turnaround matchup Monday
Hogs coach Eric Musselman talked with the media Sunday afternoon about having to turn around after LSU win Saturday for road trip to Columbia.
Razorbacks pick up seventh straight SEC Indoor title Saturday
In winning a seventh consecutive SEC Indoor championship, No. 1 Arkansas totaled 141 points and bettered the conference field by 60 points.
Since the league expanded to 14 teams in 2012-13, this total for the Razorbacks was the second highest winning score, just 10 shy of the 151 points Arkansas scored in 2019, the last time they hosted the SEC Indoor meet.
“It takes a village and it was very much a combined effort,” said Arkansas women’s head coach Lance Harter. “Our combined effort is a pretty formidable foe, to say the least, as a team. What we’re super excited about is that we were able to get through it relatively happy.
“We had some great breakthrough performances and added a few more individuals to the national lineup. We’ll just look forward coming back here in two weeks and see what the NCAA has to offer.”
The final day started with Krissy Gear producing the lone individual win for the Razorbacks as the claimed the mile after placing second in the race last season. Gear became the fourth consecutive Arkansas runner to win the SEC Indoor mile, joining Nikki Hiltz (2018), Lauren Gregory (2019) and Carina Viljoen (2020).
A 1-3-5-7 finish led to a haul of 22 points for the Razorbacks. Gear’s time of 4:34.72 led the Arkansas crew and she was followed by Gregory (4:35.72), Isabel Van Camp (4:40.20), and Gracie Hyde (4:41.53). Also finishing ninth was Kennedy Thomson (4:45.43).
Arkansas capped the stellar day with a school record in the 4×400 relay, which also broke the meet record set by LSU in 2005 and makes the Razorbacks the sixth fastest school in collegiate history.
Running a time of 3:28.50, the Razorbacks held off the challenge from Kentucky (3:28.82) with a quartet that included Paris Peoples (52.56), Rosey Effiong (52.58), Shafiqua Maloney (51.84), and Kethlin Campbell (52.02).
The performance bettered the UA record of 3:28.70 set at the 2015 NCAA Indoor and included Daina Harper, Sparkle McKnight, Chrishuna Williams and Taylor Ellis-Watson.
“That’s not our A team in the relay,” noted Harter. “Because of the tight schedule, Coach Johnson had to be creative. Everyone of them rose to the challenge. To knock off our school record, which is a special time, I’m super excited because the kids just did a fantastic job of rising.”
Ten Razorback points were scored in the 60m as Jada Baylark jetted to another career best of 7.18, moving into sole possession of the No. 2 mark on the UA all-time list, while Tiana Wilson (7.32) finished sixth.
The 400m crew collected a dozen points off a 3-5-7 finish from Morgan Burks-Magee, who set a career best of 52.10, moving to No. 4 time on the UA all-time list. Following were Effiong (52.30) and Peoples (52.69).
Razorback hurdlers totaled 13 points off a 2-5-8 finish. Daszay Freeman clocked a career best of 8.07, moving to No. 4 on the UA all-time list, as Yovienny Mota lowered her best to 8.14, which improved her Venezuelan national record and moved her to No. 6 on the UA all-time list. Jayla Hollis ran 8.33 for eighth.
A career best of 2:03.12 earned Shafiqua Maloney a bronze medal in the 800 while Quinn Owen (2:09.26) earned a pair of points placing seventh.
In the 200m, Baylark (23.19) led a trio of Razorback scorers in placing fifth while Wilson (23.46) and Hollis (23.78) finished seventh and eighth.
Arkansas rolled up 21 points in the 3,000m as Katie Izzo collected a second silver medal with a 8:56.55 performance while Gregory earned a bronze medal in 9:03.10. Logan Morris (9:10.25) and Abby Gray (9:11.01) finished fifth and sixth.
“It will be a tall order to try to defend both,” noted Harter of having the NCAA Indoor and NCAA Cross Country Championships within a span of four days in March. “The indoor has always been our priority, and we’ll look forward to that in two weeks.
“There are some great competitors from the SEC who will be rivals for us. Then, as we go from coast to coast, there are many a great team out there.”
This marked the eighth time for Arkansas men and women to sweep SEC Indoor titles since joining the league and it’s the fifth time to accomplish the feat since 2012-13 when the conference expanded to 14 schools.
Hogs don’t win any individual titles, but takes SEC Championship
Claiming it’s 24th SEC Indoor championship among the 30 contested since Arkansas joined the league, the Razorbacks achieved the title with a very rare feat.
Arkansas displayed the importance of its depth in securing the team title without an individual or relay title among the 17 events contested indoors.
It’s the first time in the history of the SEC Indoor, dating back to 1957, for a team to accomplish a championship in such a manner.
“I’m just so proud of this team and the coaches,” said Arkansas men’s coach Chris Bucknam. “They did a phenomenal job. From way back in August to now it’s been really tough doing all the things we had to do. But they got into a flow, listened to their coaches, and we just had a great meet. It’s a great victory for our program.”
Arkansas totaled 116 points for the victory, scoring in every event except three – 200m, high jump and shot put.
The Razorbacks also completed its third set of consecutive titles since 2013, when the conference expanded to its current configuration. The set of title years includes 2013 and 2014, 2016 and 2017, as well as 2020 and 2021.
“It shows our depth, but also shows how tough this conference is and the great athletes across the board,” noted Bucknam of winning a team title without an individual or relay title. “It’s hard to compete in this league and on top of that to win.
“We put the lineup together to score points. We might not have hit any homeruns, but we hit a lot of doubles and triples and singles. Our on base percentage was pretty good at the end of the day because we ended up winning the meet.”
Finishing behind the Razorbacks were LSU (93), Alabama (72), Ole Miss (70.5), Florida (57), Tennessee (50), Kentucky (47), Auburn (45), Texas A&M (44.5), Georgia (31), South Carolina (16), Missouri (15), and Mississippi State (5).
“We scored big points from the heptathlon to the 5,000,” said Bucknam. “We had great races in between that, whether it was the hurdles or the 60 dash, mile and 3k. Our jumpers did a phenomenal job. Overall, it was a team victory across the board. Now it’s on to nationals.”
Amon Kemboi led the Razorbacks with 14 points with a silver medal in the mile (3:58.56) and bronze medal in the 3,000m (8:04.63).
Kemboi and mile winner Waleed Suliman of Ole Miss (3:58.28) both bettered the meet record of 3:59.4 that was set back in 1976. Andrew Kibet picked up points for Arkansas placing sixth (4:03.49).
In the 3,000m, Kemboi finished behind Mario Garcia Romo of Ole Miss (8:03.99) and Alabama’s Eliud Kipsang (8:04.27).
The Razorbacks scored 12 points in the race, securing the team title. Supplying the additional points in the 3,000 were Jacob McLeod (8:06.15), Gilbert Boit (8:06.23), and Ryan Murphy (8:08.18), who placed 6-7-8.
Sprint and hurdle events added 21 points. In the 60 hurdles, Tre’Bien Gilbert and Phillip Lemonious finished third and fourth behind a pair of LSU hurdlers. Gilbert set a career best of 7.70, improving his No. 5 position on the UA all-time list, while Lemonious ran 7.17.
Kristoffer Hari (6.77) and Roman Turner (6.78) finished third and sixth in the 60 while James Milholen (47.63) placed eighth in the 400.
Five more points were added to the tally when Kieran Taylor placed fourth in the 800 with a 1:50.44.
Field event points included three in the pole vault with Etamar Bhastekar, sixth at 16-10 ¾ (5.15), and Rhett Nelson, seventh at 16-6 ¾ (5.05), while Ryan Brown added a point in the triple jump with a leap of 51-7 ¼ (15.73) for eighth place. John Baker finished ninth with a 51-0 ¼ (15.55).
Arkansas closed out the meet with a fifth-place effort in the 4×400 relay, posting a time of 3:05.07 with a foursome of Jadon Bartholomew (48.32), Jalen Brown (45.53), James Milholen (45.13), and Rhayko Schwartz (46.09).
Musselman on Hogs keeping streak rolling, downing LSU at Bud Walton
Arkansas coach Eric Musselman’s complete press conference with the media after downing the Tigers, 83-75, for ninth straight SEC win.
Thomas said Hogs just wanted rebounds more than Tigers in second half
After Hogs’ rebounding effort in the second half, LSU’s Cameron Thomas (25 points, 7 rebounds) said later “they just wanted it more, I guess.”
Hogs explode for four runs early, never look back in win
It was all Arkansas from the start for a change.
The second-ranked Razorbacks exploded for four runs in the bottom of the first and never looked back, dispatching Southeast Missouri State, 9-3, on Saturday afternoon at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Arkansas has now won six straight to begin the 2021 campaign.
Starter Peyton Pallette was once again spectacular on the mound as he struck out eight in five scoreless innings of work. The right-hander allowed only three hits and walked one during the outing, preventing SEMO’s offense from striking early.
Arkansas, meanwhile, scored multiple runs in each of the first three innings to open an eight-run lead.
Back-to-back RBI singles from outfielder Christian Franklin and designated hitter Matt Goodheart, who returned to the lineup after missing the previous five game due to a non-COVID-related health reason, put the Hogs ahead, 2-0.
Up by four in the second, Franklin jacked his third home run in as many days over the wall in left. His two-run dinger extended the Razorback lead to six.
The onslaught continued with two more in the bottom of the third. Second baseman Robert Moore singled home a run before he worked his way around the base paths and scored on a wild pitch.
Shortstop Jalen Battles’ RBI double in the bottom of the fourth put Arkansas ahead, 9-0.
Pallette was in cruise control the entire time. He struck out two in his final inning of work and departed the ballgame with plenty of bullets still left in his chamber, throwing only 68 pitches (48 strikes) on the day.
Left-hander Zack Morris was impressive in his first relief appearance of the year, escaping a bases-loaded jam with two strikeouts. Right-hander Gabriel Starks closed out the game and struck out one in his collegiate debut.
Tomorrow’s series finale is set for 1 p.m. at Baum-Walker Stadium.
The Razorbacks seek their seventh straight win, looking to begin the season with a 7-0 record for the first time since the 2016 campaign and for the seventh time in the Dave Van Horn era (19 seasons).
Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.
Notae on stepping up for Tate, fixing first game mistakes
Arkansas’ JD Notae talked with the media after the win over LSU the key in improving from first meetings is correcting mistakes in initial games.
Wade after ‘tale of two halves’ puts LSU on short end of one that counts
LSU coach Will Wade talked later about how it was two completely different games in 84-75 loss to Hogs on Saturday.
Smith on Hogs keeping win streak going with solid win over LSU
Arkansas’ Justin Smith on Senior Day about playing defense, working to just keep winning games as season winds down to end.
