FAYETTEVILLE -- The schedule eased up Monday night at Bud Walton Arena. The result was a welcome victory for the Arkansas women's basketball team.
Jessica Jackson scored a game-high 18 points to lead four Razorbacks with 11 or more points in an 86-46 victory over hapless Mississippi Valley State.
Arkansas (4-8) outscored Mississippi Valley State 23-6 to turn a close game into a 38-19 halftime lead, taking advantage of 20-percent shooting and 11 turnovers by the Devilettes. Mississippi Valley State shot 26 percent and committed 21 turnovers, which led to 23 Arkansas points.
A wide talent gap allowed Arkansas to win in convincing fashion, but the Razorbacks beat a team with losses to Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Alabama and Mississippi State by an average margin of 55.3 points.
Arkansas wraps up nonconference action Wednesday at home against New Orleans.
"We're a better team than our record shows," Arkansas Coach Jimmy Dykes said. "We could've scheduled and guaranteed 10 wins and three losses in nonconference. That's not how we're going to build the program. It does no one any good to do that. We've been knocked around. We've already played the No. 5 team, the No. 7 team and we've got a bunch of ranked teams coming up."
Dykes said he expected the Razorbacks to be a little lethargic coming off a five-day layoff over Christmas.
"Not a knock against Mississippi Valley State, but we played down to them a little bit," Dykes said. "But they see it. They know it. We're a better ballclub than what they showed tonight."
Arkansas increased its lead to 61-25 when it outscored Mississippi Valley State 23-6 to start the second half. Dykes utilized his bench down the stretch, with no Razorback playing more than 24 minutes and all 12 players on the roster scoring.
"We could have won the game by 50 or 60 if we wanted to, but we won by 40," Dykes said. "Got a lot of work in. Got some conditioning in. Very happy how we shot the ball."
The victory margin was Arkansas' largest since a 78-30 victory over Northwestern State on Nov. 23, 2014 and helped build on a solid final three quarters against Texas in which the Razorbacks outscored the Longhorns 47-41 after falling behind big early.
Christina Reed led Mississippi Valley State (2-8) with 17 points, but shot 4 of 18 from the floor.
Arkansas outscored Mississippi Valley State 21-8 in the second quarter, including 17-4 in the first seven-plus minutes as the Devilettes made 1 of 13 shots and turned it over four times, often against full-court pressure.
Arkansas ramped up the pressure even more in the third, forcing seven turnovers, while shooting 61 percent in its best stretch of play of the night.
"The second half it picked up after we got the press," sophomore guard Devin Cosper said. "The first half we were just really stagnant and standing around, including myself."
Cosper scored 16 points for the Razorbacks and was disruptive defensively, coming up with three steals and three blocks. Freshman guard Jordan Danberry added 11 points, 5 assists and 2 steals.
Sports on 12/29/2015