FAYETTEVILLE — The SEC’s only 10-0 women’s basketball team will welcome back an old friend tonight at Walton Arena.
The Razorbacks will host Tulsa, led by third-year Coach Matilda Mossman, who got her first big job in the profession at the University of Arkansas, for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
Arkansas (10-0), which has taken on a front-loaded schedule, will have a nine-day break for finals after playing the Golden Hurricane. Tulsa (3-2) had its last scheduled game versus Arkansas-Little Rock on Sunday postponed due to hazardous winter conditions in Tulsa.
Tuesday's Ticket
ARKANSAS VS. TULSA
WHEN 7 p.m.
WHERE Bud Walton Arena
RECORDS Arkansas 10-0 Tulsa 3-2
SERIES Arkansas leads 17-2 overall
RADIO KQSM-FM 92.1 Fayetteville, KABZ-FM 103.7 Little Rock, KFPW-AM 1230, FM 94.5 Fort Smith, KURM-AM 790 Rogers
Mossman, the former Matilda Willis, took her first full-time assistant coaching job at Arkansas in 1980 and the following year, at age 24, she became the Lady ‘Backs third head coach. She compiled a 67-27 record in her three seasons before moving on to Kansas State, and then to the high school ranks in Norman, Okla., where she put together a powerhouse program.
Arkansas Coach Tom Collen, whose team’s only nonconference loss at Walton Arena in its last 39 games came against Tulane in last year’s Women’s National Invitational Tournament, has known Mossman since her days at Arkansas.
“She won many state championships and then resurfaced again at Tulsa and is doing a fantastic job over there,” Collen said. “I really respect her a lot and I’m glad she is back coaching Division I basketball again.”
Arkansas continues to lead the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 43 points per game, and the Razorbacks are fifth with an average scoring margin of 33.9 points per game.
Arkansas forward Jessica Jackson was named SEC freshman of the week on Monday for the second time after averaging 15.5 points per game in victories at Kansas and against Northwestern (La.) State.
Sports, Pages 22 on 12/10/2013