FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas women's basketball team currently projects as a No. 11 or No. 12 seed for the NCAA Tournament, but Coach Jimmy Dykes believes the Razorbacks need a finishing flourish to secure a berth.
That makes today's 8 p.m. game against No. 2 South Carolina at Walton Arena a valuable opportunity for the Razorbacks (14-9, 5-7).
The Gamecocks (24-1, 12-0 SEC) were cruising along at No. 1 for 12 consecutive weeks before losing 87-62 at Connecticut, the new No. 1, last week.
Arkansas women vs. No. 2 South Carolina
WHEN 8 p.m. today
WHERE Walton Arena, Fayetteville
RECORDS South Carolina 24-1, 12-0 SEC; Arkansas 15-9, 5-7
SEC SERIES Arkansas leads 17-12
RADIO KQSM-FM, 92.1, in Fayetteville; KABZ-FM, 103.7, in Little Rock; KFPW-AM, 1230, and KFPW-FM, 94.5, in Fort Smith; KURM-AM, 790, and KURM-FM, 100.3, in Rogers
TELEVISION SEC Network
TEAM COMPARISON
S. Carolina Arkansas 78.2 Points for 62.1 52.3 Points against 54.8 +11.2 Rebound margin +6.8 +3.5 Turnover margin -0.2 48.3 FG pct. 38.2 36.4 3-pt pct. 28.9 67.1 FT pct. 66.3
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
SOUTH CAROLINA
POS. NAME, HT, YR PPG RPG G Tiffany Mitchell, 5-9, Jr. 15.0 2.9 G Khadijah Sessions, 5-8, Jr. 4.4 2.5 G/F Asia Dozier, 5-11, Jr. 3.8 0.9 F Aleighsa Welch, 6-0, Sr. 9.1 6.3 C Elem Ibiam, 6-4, Sr. 7.0 4.1 COACH Dawn Staley (145-72 in seventh year at South Carolina, 317-152 in 15th year overall)
ARKANSAS
POS. NAME, HT, YR PPG RPG G Calli Berna, 5-10, Sr. 5.5 5.5 G Kelsey Brooks, 5-9, So. 15.0 5.2 F Jessica Jackson, 6-3, So. 13.8 5.8 F Melissa Wolff, 6-0, Jr. 8.6 8.2 F Jhasmin Bowen, 6-1, Sr. 11.5 6.7 COACH Jimmy Dykes (15-9 in first season at Arkansas)
CHALK TALK Former Razorback Bettye Fiscus (1981-85) will be honored at halftime with a banner-raising ceremony. … South Carolina Coach Dawn Staley (Virginia, 1992) was a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame 2013 inductee. … Arkansas guard Calli Berna has 132 points, 132 rebounds and 124 assists. … South Carolina was 5-0 against ranked opponents prior to last Monday’s 87-62 loss at then-No. 2 Connecticut. … The Gamecocks have nine SEC victories by 18 or more points.
Arkansas has won four of its past five games and has held four of five opponents to 50 points or less to improve its standing for an NCAA at-large bid.
"I think it's very, very important when you get to the end of February, does your team have hope and something to play for, and we absolutely do," Dykes said. "I read somewhere [on ESPN.com] they're projecting us right now as an 11 seed if the tournament started today. Unfortunately the tournament doesn't start today.
"We have three or four more wins to get, I think, to secure it. But our players like that. We're in a fight right now. We're in a fight for our postseason lives."
South Carolina, which has shredded its 12 SEC opponents by an average of 23.7 points per game, is in prime position for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Coach Dawn Staley's Gamecocks have won their six SEC road games by an average of 26 points per game, with Missouri putting up the best resistance in its 60-49 loss on Jan. 15.
Dykes said the biggest factor in South Carolina's loss to UConn was the location of the game.
"You saw the recipe for what a lot of teams try to do to South Carolina," he said. "Because of their size, teams try to pack that defense in and see if it's a night where South Carolina doesn't shoot the ball well from the perimeter. I'm not saying we're going to have that exact formula, but that's what UConn tried to do."
South Carolina, which is trying to extend its winning streak over Arkansas to five consecutive games, has shot 50 percent or better from three-point range in two of its past three games. The Gamecocks have won two in a row at Walton Arena, dating to a 68-47 loss Feb. 9, 2012.
Arkansas, which is 1-5 against ranked teams, has the reigning SEC co-player of the week in sophomore forward Jessica Jackson, who made 8 of 14 shots and scored 18 points in the Razorbacks' 54-36 victory at Auburn on Sunday.
The Gamecocks have four players 6-4 or taller, including top reserves A'ja Wilson, the team's second-leading scorer at 13.9 points per game and a five-time SEC freshman of the week, and Alaina Coates, who averages 10.9 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.
"They're not going to be intimidated by the 5-7 Arkansas Razorbacks, I know that," Dykes said. "But we're not going to be intimidated either."
Sports on 02/19/2015