FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas will try to bounce back from Thursday’s loss to No. 1 South Carolina with No. 15 Kentucky coming to Bud Walton Arena this afternoon.
Aliyah Boston, a 6-foot-5 freshman, dominated the smaller Razorbacks for the second time this season. She finished with 18 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocked shots in Thursday’s games, after going for 19 points and 25 rebounds earlier in the season.
Arkansas redshirt junior Chelsea Dungee led the Razorbacks with 16 points but again struggled shooting the ball. She finished just 7 of 25 from the floor.
Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors she’s been working diligently to get out of the recent shooting slump.
“She’s been in the gym every single day the last two or three weeks,” Neighbors said. “Again the only way I know how to coach is to keep believing in kids who have done stuff for you. I’m not going to stop calling her number when she’s able to get open shots. She’s got to play through it and she will.”
Kentucky has been without one of top players in the country because of an injury. Rhyne Howard, a 6-2 sophomore who averages 23.2 points per game, is sidelined because of a fractured finger on her left hand. She has missed the past three games and is expected to be out until mid-February.
Kentucky may trail big in the all-time series but it’s won the last 10 meetings in a row with Arkansas. The Razorbacks’ last win was on Jan,. 6, 2011 in Fayetteville. Arkansas defeated Kentucky 78-67 in a battle of two ranked teams.
15 KENTUCKY at 25 ARKANSAS
WHEN Sunday, 3 p.m.
WHERE Bud Walton Arena (19,200), Fayetteville
RECORDS Kentucky 18-4, 7-3 SEC; Arkansas 18-5, 6-4 SEC
SERIES Arkansas leads 24-13
RADIO KQSM-FM 92.1 and KYNG-AM 15-90 in Fayetteville; KFPW-AM 1230 and KHGG-AM 1580 in Fort Smith; KURM-AM 790 and KURM-FM 100.3 in Rogers
TV ESPN2
PROBABLE ARKANSAS STARTING LINEUP
POS NAME, HT., YR.;PPG;RPG
G Chelsea Dungee, 5-11, Jr.; 17.8; 5.0
G Amber Ramirez, 5-9, Jr.; 14.7; 3.5
F Taylah Thomas, 6-1, Jr.; 5.9; 7.2
G Makayla Daniels, 5-8, Fr.; 9.5; 1.8
G Alexis Tolefree, 5-8, Sr.; 15.1; 4.1
COACH Mike Neighbors (53-38) is in his third season at Arkansas.
PROBABLE KENTUCKY STARTING LINEUP
POS NAME, HT., YR.;PPG;RPG
G Sabrina Haines, 5-10, R-Sr.; 10.7; 4.3
G Jaida Roper, 5-6, Sr.; 7.5; 2.7
G Amanda Paschal, 5-7, R-Sr.; 5.9; 3.2
F KeKe McKinney, 6-1, Jr.; 6.9; 4.9
F Ogechi Anyagaligbo, 6-1, R-Sr.; 3.3; 3.4
COACH Matthew Mitchell (298-128) is in his 13th season at Kentucky.
TEAM COMPARISON
Kentucky - Arkansas
71.3 Points Scored Per Game 83.3
56.1 Points Allowed Per Game 63.9
47.0 Rebounds Per Game 39.5
13.9 Turnovers Per Game 11.1
41.0 FG Pct. 43.9
35.9 3-Pt. FG Pct. 37.5
69.3 FT Pct. 73.7