FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas women’s basketball team struggled from the free-throw line and the three-point line Monday night, but guard Amber Ramirez came up big to help the Razorbacks pick up a 65-58 win over SMU in Bud Walton Arena.
Ramirez, the lone senior on the Arkansas roster, hit back-to-back three-pointers to key a big fourth-quarter run that helped the Razorbacks push the lead to double digits and hold on for the hard-fought win.
Arkansas (4-1) hit just 4 of 20 (20%) three-pointers and a paltry 11 of 27 (41%) from the foul line — including just 2 of 8 over the final four minutes. But Sasha Goforth’s steal and Erynn Barnum’s rebound bucket of her own miss gave Arkansas an 64-56 lead with 1 minute, 36 seconds left to seal the deal.
Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors credited SMU (2-2) with being hard to guard and well prepared. He was proud of his team’s response even after SMU got within 48-44 on Sydne Wiggins’ three-pointer early in the fourth quarter.
“(SMU) played great as expected from watching them on film,” Neighbors said. “They were really hard to guard. They had us really scouted, made us play to our second and third options, which we didn’t do a great job of early....I thought we fought. But when we didn’t make free throws, those were all uncontested. The three’s they had something to do with. The twos they had something to do with.
“Eleven-for-27 to be able to survive that is a good sign for us and an area for improvement. I didn’t think we flinched. I didn’t think we lost our composure.”
Ramirez finished with just 11 points, but she had eight in a huge 10-0 run by the Razorback to turn away the Mustangs early in the fourth quarter. The 5-9 senior hit a runner, then drained back-to-back three-pointers for a 58-44 Arkansas lead with 6:53 left.
Ramirez said she was happy to take whatever would get her team the win.
“I happened to make two big three’s in that moment, but whatever was gonna get the job done,” Ramirez said. “Me and Erynn in the pick and roll, it’s gonna be my shot or it’s gonna be her shot.”
Barnum finished with a team-high 18 points and 9 rebounds, while Daniels added 16 despite sitting out some in the fourth quarter with foul problems.
Savannah Wilkerson, a 6-0 transfer from Florida State, finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds — both game-highs — for the Mustangs. Kayla White added 12 and Wiggins 11 before fouling out. SMU has lots of new faces under new coach Toyelle Wilson, including six transfers and two freshmen.
Neighbors started his sixth slightly different lineup of the season and he gets that has made finding consistency difficult.
“I understand,” Neighbors said. “I’m willing to accept the fact that we don’t have a lot of flow right now. That comes with the sacrifice of doing it the way that we did it. But I think we’ve got a lot of information now and I think we’ve got a chance in the next five to six games to build some flow.
“Our chemistry’s good. But now we’ve gotta get a little consistency and a little flow with our lineups, clean some things up defensively. But I do like where we’re at.”
Arkansas led only 30-23 at halftime despite holding the Mustangs to just 2-of-15 shooting from the floor in the second quarter. The Razorbacks weren’t much better though, making just 4 of 13. They also struggled from the free-throw line, making just 4 of 12 in the half.
The Mustangs hit 9 of 10 free throws in the first half to help them stay close.
The Razorbacks held SMU without a field goal for more than six minutes of the second quarter and led 25-14 after Samara Spencer’s three-pointer with 5:02 left in the opening half. But the Mustangs slowly crawled back to get within single digits at halftime.
Arkansas plays host to Sam Houston State on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m.