WHAT
Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament – First round
WHEN
Thursday, 6:30 p.m. Central
WHERE
Donald W. Reynolds Center (8,355) in Tulsa, Okla.
RECORDS
Arkansas: 18-14, 6-10 SEC
Tulsa: 23-9, 13-5 American
LAST 10 GAMES (STREAK)
Arkansas 2-8 (Lost 5)
Tulsa 7-3 (Lost 1)
SERIES
Arkansas leads 24-3 and has a five-game winning streak in the series. The Razorbacks are 13-1 when playing in Tulsa. The last time Arkansas played at the Reynolds Center was Dec. 20, 2018, when former Razorbacks guard Malica Monk made a game-winning layup with 8 seconds left for a 61-59 victory.
LAST MEETING
Arkansas defeated Tulsa 79-70 on Nov. 14, 2022, in Fayetteville.
COACHES
Arkansas: Mike Neighbors — 138-91 in seventh season at Arkansas and 236-132 in 11th season overall.
Tulsa: Angie Nelp — 57-33 in third season at Tulsa and overall.
TELEVISION
Bruce Howard (play-by-play), Taleya Mayberry (analyst) and Michelle Montaine (sideline) will call the game on ESPN+. The broadcast can be accessed via WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app (subscription required).
RADIO
Phil Elson will call the game on Razorback Sports Network, which can be accessed on KQSM-FM, 92.1 and KYNG-AM, 1590 in Fayetteville; KFPW-AM, 1230 and KHGG-AM, 1580 in Fort Smith; and through the Varsity Network app.
ARKANSAS PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP
POS., NAME, HT, YR.; PPG; RPG
G Makayla Daniels, 5-8, Gr., 11.9, 4.4
G Samara Spencer, 5-7, Jr., 13.9, 4.6
G Carly Keats, 5-8, So., 6.2, 1.3
F Jenna Lawrence, 6-3, Fr., 2.6, 2.3
F Maryam Dauda, 6-4, R-So., 9.7, 6.3
TULSA PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP
POS. NAME, HT, YR.; PPG; RPG
G Katia Gallegos, 5-7, Sr., 6.6, 2.7
G Delanie Crawford, 5-11, Jr., 19.1, 5.8
G Mady Cartwright, 5-10, Fr., 6.9, 2.8
G/F Hadley Periman, 6-2, So., 2.9, 7.1
F Temira Poindexter, 6-1, Jr., 21.1, 5.3
TEAM COMPARISON
Arkansas – Tulsa
69.7 Points for 70.8
68.5 Points against 67.2
-5.8 Rebound margin -2.2
+2.1 Turnover margin -1.7
37.5 FG pct. 41.9
30.0 3-PT pct. 33.3
72.4 FT pct. 68.1
WHAT TO KNOW
• The Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) is in its first season. It is owned and operated by the NCAA.
• The WBIT consists of 32 teams. Tulsa was an automatic qualifier due to winning the American Athletic Conference regular-season championship but not making the NCAA Tournament. Arkansas was selected as an at-large team.
• With the creation of the WBIT, the NCAA now sponsors 100 postseason opportunities (68 NCAA Tournament, 32 NIT/WBIT) for men’s and women’s basketball.
• Arkansas is on a five-game losing streak and finished 10th in the SEC. Tulsa was regular-season champion of the American Athletic Conference but was upset by East Carolina in the conference tournament.
• The winner of Arkansas-Tulsa will face the winner of Washington and Georgetown in the second round.
• The Razorbacks are without leading scorer Taliah Scott (22.1 ppg) and leading rebounder Saylor Poffenbarger (11.2 rpg), who each entered the NCAA transfer portal when it opened Monday.
• Tulsa junior forward Temira Poindexter was named American Athletic Conference player of the year. She averages 21.1 points and 5.3 rebounds.
• Poindexter played at Sapulpa (Okla.) High School, the same place former Arkansas standout Chelsea Dungee played.
• Golden Hurricane junior guard Delanie Crawford was named the American Athletic Conference’s most improved player and to the all-conference second team. She averages 19.1 points and 5.8 rebounds.
• Crawford and Poindexter are the only teammates in Division I to both average at least 19 points.
• Arkansas guards Samara Spencer (13.9 ppg) and Makayla Daniels (11.9) lead the Razorbacks in scoring among available players.
• Arkansas freshman forward Jenna Lawrence got her first career start during the Razorbacks’ 67-48 loss to Auburn at the SEC Tournament. Lawrence scored 13 points and had 5 rebounds in 35 minutes.
• The Razorbacks and Golden Hurricane played in a closed-door scrimmage in Fayetteville before the season began. It is the second consecutive season Arkansas has met a team in the postseason (2023 WNIT, at Kansas) it played in a scrimmage.
• Tulsa coach Angie Nelp began her college coaching career as a graduate assistant for Arkansas under Tom Collen during the 2007-08 season.
• Taleya Mayberry, who will be the analyst for the ESPN+ broadcast, is the daughter of Razorback men’s basketball great Lee Mayberry. She played for the Golden Hurricane from 2009-13.