Top teams, UA women on display

Arkansas coach Jimmy Dykes motions while assistant coach Christy Smith watches from the sideline during a game against Nicholls on Friday, Nov. 14, 2014 at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville.

If Arkansas fans want to cheer for the Razorbacks and root against Texas, they don’t have to wait for the Texas Bowl on Dec. 29 in Houston.

But it will be women’s basketball, not football, today in Verizon Arena in North Little Rock that presents the opportunity to call the Hogs and boo the ‘Horns.

Arkansas (8-2) plays Oklahoma (5-4) at 3 p.m in the second game of a doubleheader in the first SEC-Big 12 Challenge after No. 3 Texas (9-0) takes on No. 4 Texas A&M (11-0) in the opener at 12:30 p.m.

“Now we need to do our part and help wave the flag for the SEC,” Arkansas Coach Jimmy Dykes said. “I hope our fans will come out that haven’t had a chance to see us play in person, and I want them to cheer for the SEC schools, absolutely. I want the SEC to be 2-0.”

Some fans might lean toward cheering for Texas A&M because Aggies Coach Gary Blair coached Arkansas for 10 years — including a Final Four appearance in 1998 – and was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame last winter.

There also might be cheering for Texas Coach Karen Aston, however, because she is from Benton, played for UALR and was a high school head coach at Fort Smith Northside and Vilonia.

“It’s nice to say Texas and A&M and we’re not talking about football for once,” Blair told The Associated Press. “That’s all they talk about on radio here.

“All women’s basketball is doing is trying for our slice of the pie down here. The pie is football, but we’re increasing those slices of pepperoni here.”

The Arkansas-Oklahoma game is a homecoming for Razorbacks Jessica Jackson of Jacksonville and Melissa Wolff of Cabot.

Wolff said in addition to family and friends, groups from her church, high school and junior high will attend the game.

“It’s a cool opportunity,” she said. “The Wolff pack is definitely going to be rolling in deep for this game.”

The main concern for Dykes and the Razorbacks is beating Oklahoma, a perennial national power that has lost back-to-back road games against UALR (66-62) and No. 13 Duke (92-72).

Oklahoma Coach Sherri Coale has a 404-198 record in her 19th season, with 15 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

“Oklahoma is the real deal, I don’t care if they’ve lost a couple of games in a row or not,” Dykes said. “Sherri has won a lot of games. She knows how to bounce a team back after a couple of losses.

“We’re preparing for their very best. I know that’s what we’re going to get, and hopefully Oklahoma will see our very best.”

Arkansas senior Calli Berna said the Razorbacks are excited about building their fan base in central Arkansas and being part of a nationally-televised doubleheader, which is being played to promote the SEC Tournament March 4-8 in Verizon Arena.

“I think it’s going to be an exciting environment,” Berna said. “We want to give our fans our best game.”

Arkansas is 2-2 in its past four games, with home losses to South Dakota State and Rutgers and victories on the road at Missouri State and Tulsa, Dykes said the Razorbacks haven’t played well since beating Iowa and Richmond in Las Vegas three weeks ago.

“Four games in a row we haven’t played what we’re capable of playing,” Dykes said. “We need to get back to doing that.”

Dykes said he wants the Razorbacks to show fans attending the game or watching TV how hard they play.

“Whether we win or lose, I want fans to think, ‘I wouldn’t want to play those guys,’ ” Dykes said. “Hopefully, that’s how we look.”