Arkansas bashes Mississippi State for twentieth win of the season
No. 23 Arkansas (20-5, 8-4) won its 20th game of the season on Sunday, beating Ole Miss (7-18, 0-12) 108-64 at the Pavilion. With the win, Arkansas reached eight SEC wins for just the second time since joining the conference, and crossed the 20-win threshold for just the seventh time since the turn of the century.
Head Coach Mike Neighbors’ Razorbacks continue to make offensive history this season, as they once again broke the program record for most points in an SEC game, scoring 108 points. This is their second straight game breaking that record, as the Hogs dropped 103 on then-No. 15 Kentucky last Sunday. Neighbors’ Hogs also shattered the program record for field-goal percentage in an SEC game, shooting a whopping 64.4 (38-59) percent from the field. The previous record, 60.4 percent, had stood for 20 years (2/11/99).
Senior guard Alexis Tolefree continued her statement season with another great outing against Ole Miss, going for a team-high 19 points in the win. She was once again the picture of efficiency, going four of six from the field, two of thee from long range, and nine of 10 from the free throw line. Chelsea Dungee and Amber Ramirez also had solid outings in the Pavilion, going for 18 points and 17 points, respectively.
The Hogs were absolutely lethal offensively in the first half, shooting the ball at a staggering 69.7 percent clip, the best shooting half for the Hogs since last week’s 71.8 percent shooting barrage in the second half vs. Kentucky. That included a 32-point first period, the fifth time over the course of SEC play the Hogs eclipsed 30 points in a single quarter.
The scoring for the Razorbacks was spread out in the first half, as all nine Hogs that touched the floor scored at least four points. Tolefree led the way with 11 in the first half. Ramirez, Dungee and A’Tyanna Gaulden all had nine.
Tolefree continues to light it up in SEC play, as she again led the Hogs in scoring, pouring in 19 points.Sophomore guard Rokia Doumbia led the Hogs on the glass, pulling down 11 boards, one shy of her career-high.Doumbia also led the team in assists, dishing a career-high six of them.The Hogs had five players reach double-figures in the game, the fifth time this season that has happened. Arkansas is 5-0 in those games.Arkansas moved the ball well against Ole Miss, going for 17 assists as a team, the fifth time this season they have gone for 17 or more helpers.
The Razorbacks return home for a huge matchup on Thursday, as No. 25 Tennessee comes to Bud Walton for another ranked showdown. That game is set to tip at 6 p.m. CT, and will air on the SEC Network.
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