Razorbacks to face Trojans in women’s basketball at Verizon in December

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas will play Little Rock at Verizon Arena on December 21, coach Mike Neighbors announced today.

The two schools will play following athletics director Hunter Yurachek’s announcement last August that the Razorbacks would start to play other schools in the University of Arkansas system.

Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.

“When Athletic Director Yurachek announced that the board approved playing in-system, in-state institutions last August, we immediately were hopeful of scheduling a game or series of games with Little Rock,” Neighbors said. “Coach Foley has built their program into a perennial NCAA caliber team, so playing them will benefit our program and build support for women’s basketball across the state.

“When it became clear they were equally as interested in playing us, I couldn’t help but be excited to get the series set.

“Coach Foley started out as someone I idolized in women’s basketball during his tenure at Arkansas Tech, became someone I tried to emulate as my collegiate career began, and has become a trusted colleague over the last 20 years. To share a sideline with him and our teams will be very special.”

“This game is very exciting for the state of Arkansas and something the people in the state have wanted for years,” Foley said. “We will be making history starting this series just like our baseball team did last spring. This game will be great for the state and great for both programs.”

Despite the proximity of the schools, this will be just the second meeting ever between the two programs, and the first since December of 1977.

The Hogs won the only meeting, beating the Trojans 74-54 on the road. It will be Arkansas’ first visit to Little Rock since 2015, when the SEC Tournament was held there.

The Razorbacks have played well in Verizon Arena, or Alltel Arena as it was formerly known, over the years, sporting a 7-5 all-time record.

Little Rock is coming off of a great season, in which they went 21-11 overall and won the Sun Belt Conference courtesy of their stellar 15-3 mark in conference play.

The Trojans’ solid campaign earned the program its second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament, but Foley’s team fell in round one to fifth-seeded Gonzaga.

Little Rock lost leading scorer Ronjanae DeGray to graduation, but Kyra Collier, who was second on the team with 14.4 points per game last season, returns to Little Rock for her final collegiate season.