FAYETTEVILLE -- It's been a tough 2015 for the Arkansas women's basketball team.
The Razorbacks (10-6, 0-4 SEC) are still in search of their first victory of the new year going into their game against Missouri (11-7, 1-4) at 2 p.m. today in Walton Arena.
Arkansas last won Dec. 28, when the Razorbacks beat Grambling State 77-35.
Since then Arkansas has lost at Ole Miss 71-57, to No. 5 Texas A&M 52-50 on a last-second basket, at No. 14 Mississippi State 72-57 and to No. 7 Tennessee 60-51.
Arkansas, which has nine players, led by six points at Mississippi State in the second half and by nine against Tennessee in the second half but was overwhelmed in the final minutes.
First-year Arkansas Coach Jimmy Dykes said it's been tough dealing with a four-game losing streak after a 10-2 start that included victories over Iowa in Las Vegas, Oklahoma in North Little Rock and at Middle Tennessee State.
"We're trying to win every single game," Dykes said. "I'm not into trying to play close or trying to play a good basketball game.
"Right now, I'd rather play bad and win than play good and lose, because we've played OK and lost."
Dykes said it's not too late for the Razorbacks to make an NCAA Tournament run, noting there have been both men's and women's teams start 0-4 and still make the NCAA Tournament.
"We can do the same thing, but we've got to start winning ballgames," Dykes said.
Arkansas hasn't played since losing to Tennessee last Sunday.
"The bye week came at a really good time," Dykes said. "My team was really physically beat up after three straight games against top-15 teams, but I think we're good now."
Missouri's SEC victory came at home against Florida, 66-47. All of the Tigers' SEC losses have been to nationally ranked teams, including 60-47 at home to No. 1 South Carolina on Thursday night.
Dykes said Missouri has players who can shoot from all over the court and that will put some stress on Arkansas' defense.
The Tigers lead the SEC in three-point baskets per game at 7.5, including 2.8 by senior guard Morgan Eye.
Eye has hit 50 of 139 three-pointers (36.0 percent) this season and is 333 of 838 for her career. She needs 60 three-point baskets to break the NCAA career record of 392 held by Laurie Koehn of Kansas State and Heather Butler of Tennessee-Martin.
"I've watched Eye shoot it from 30 feet," Dykes said. "It looks just as good coming off from 30 as it does 20 feet, 9 inches."
Missouri's defense also is a concern for Arkansas. The Tigers are holding opponents to 22.4 percent shoot to rank No. 6 nationally in field-goal defense.
Dykes said the Razorbacks, shooting 38.5 percent from the field, have focused this week in practice on ways to avoid scoring droughts. He didn't want to be specific and provide a scouting report for the Tigers.
"Hopefully, we'll get out of the days where we go four or five minutes without scoring," Dykes said. "It's really, really hard to beat a good team when you go stretches without scoring."
Sports on 01/18/2015