Preview – Arkansas vs. LSU

Arkansas Closes out the Regular Season with a Huge Matchup against LSU

INFO
Date: Sunday, March 1
Time: 1 p.m.
Opponent: LSU
Location: Bud Walton Arena
TV: SECN+/SEC Network (Whiparound)
Tickets: $5 adults | Kids 12 & Under in FREE with paying adult
Promotions: Senior Day | Senior Celebration Postgame | First 1,000 Fans Get A T-Shirt

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

LAST TIME OUT

• Arkansas lost its second straight game on Thursday night, falling in a shootout to No. 10 Mississippi State, 92-83.
• Senior guard Alexis Tolefree put on another dazzling display in the loss, going for 30 points. Tolefree did it all for the Hogs, going 10 of 18 from the field, four of 10 from distance and a perfect six of six from the foul line.
• She also once again led Arkansas on the glass, going for eight rebounds.
• Amber Ramirez and A’Tyanna Gaulden joined Tolefree in double figures, going for 18 and 11, respectively.
• Tolefree’s special senior season continues, as she dropped her third-career 30+ point game against Mississippi State. All three have come during SEC play of her final year.
• She also matched her career-high on the glass, pulling down eight rebounds.
• Ramirez continues to light it up from downtown, as she hit six more threes against the Bulldogs. It was her fourth game this season with six or more triples.
• Gaulden reached double-figures for the third time in her last four games.
• Arkansas held a narrow 26-24 advantage after a wildly paced first quarter. Both teams matched each other blow for blow in period one, as a Tolefree lay in was all that separated the Hogs and Bulldogs. However, things changed in the second quarter, and Mississippi State was able to create some separation.
• The Bulldogs came out on a 20-7 run to start the second quarter, turning a two-point hole into an 11-point lead. Arkansas would cut it down to eight entering the halftime intermission, but the Bulldogs would extend the lead even further in the third quarter, building their advantage to as many as 21 midway through the frame. The Razorbacks would trim the lead back down to nine in the final moments, but that’s as close as they would get.

STORYLINES

• Senior guard Alexis Tolefree has been excellent for the Razorbacks so far this season.
• She is averaging career-highs across the board, including points per game (16.3), field goal percentage (.439), three-point field goal percentage (.420), and assists per game (2.0).
• Tolefree was simply unstoppable against Missouri, going for a career-high 35 points on 12 of 23 shooting.
• She was also stellar against Kentucky at home, going for 30 points, including 25 in the second half.
• She dropped another 30-piece on No. 10 Mississippi State.
• Tolefree has scored in double-figures in 15 of her last 17 games. She has gone for 20+ in eight of those games and 30+ in three of them.
• The senior guard has been lethal so far in conference play, averaging 18.7 points per game, which is third-most in the SEC.
• Tolefree is also averaging 5.2 rebounds per game in SEC only games, the 19th-best mark in the league.
• Her 28 steals over the conference schedule is also the most on the squad and good for eighth in the league.
• Senior Kiara Williams joined elite defensive company last week, as she recorded her 100th career block against Tennessee.
• Williams is now just one of 10 Razorbacks to ever block 100 or more shots over a career.
• Williams reached the milestone despite only playing in 15 games so far this season.
• Williams recorded one of the best single seasons in terms of defending the basket last season, racking up 54 blocks, which was the fourth-best total in a single-season in program history.

SCOUTING LSU

• LSU has handled the Razorbacks in the all-time series, owning a 33-16 advantage.
• The Tigers have won four straight in the series, including a 71-34 statement win in Baton Rouge last season.
• The season finale will be important for both teams, as the Hogs and Tigers both sit at 9-6 in SEC play through 15 games.
• It’ll be offense vs. defense on Sunday, as the Hogs come in ranked second in the SEC in PPG (82.8) in conference games, while LSU has allowed the third fewest (61.2).
• LSU has also been great at defending the three in conference only play, allowing opponents to shoot just 31 percent from deep, the second best mark in the league. Arkansas, though, is the best three-point shooting team in the SEC, hitting 39.8 percent of their threes in conference play.
• Khayla Pointer has been great for LSU, as she is averaging 14.3 PPG in conference only games, good for 11th-best in the SEC.
• She is also third in the league in conference-only assists, averaging 5.3 per game.
• Faustine Aifuwa leads the Tigers on the glass, pulling down 9.1 boards a game during the conference schedule. That mark is good for fourth-best in the league.

MORE INFORMATION

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