Arkansas and Auburn both hoping to end losing skids with much-needed SEC win

BV DUDLEY E. DAWSON

FAYETTEVILLE – Two SEC women’s basketball teams in desperate need of a win will meet Thursday night in a place dubbed “The Loveliest Village on the Plains.”

Arkansas (7-10, 0-2) will visit Auburn (9-6, 0-2) in a 6 p.m. game on SEC Network + in which both programs will bring in three-game losing streaks.

It is Auburn’s annual Play4Kay Pink Game at Neville Arena with fans encouraged to wear pink in support of breast cancer awareness and research.

They are two of five programs in the 16-team SEC without a league win so far with Missouri, Mississippi State and Georgia being the others.

Arkansas had the unenviable task of facing and losing to No. 6 LSU (98-64) and No. 5 Texas (90-56) in its first two SEC games.

“We are at the mercy of our schedulers and I think they have had a tough opening as well with Ole Miss (a 85-58 home loss) and I think LSU (a 73-63 road defeat),” Neighbors said.

“When two teams that are similar like that meet, getting confidence is key, who has been able to keep their heads up, who has been able to play through a loss and improve.”

The Tigers lead the all-time series between the two 24-22 and have won 11 of 19 at home against Arkansas, but have not defeated the Razorbacks in Auburn since 2016.

“…I think Auburn had high expectations entering the year, but they have had some injuries, I think they have had some setbacks,” Neighbors said. “So I think they will come in hungry and I think they are going to be looking at this game just like we are – as one that is a very winnable opportunity.

“I will be anxious to see how our kids respond to that. That seem to have a good outlook on it, but we won’t know until we tip it off.”

Neighbors did see what he thinks was four good quarters out of the eight in last two losses.

“Hopefully we can carry over what we did well in the last quarter against and LSU and the first three quarters against Texas,” Neighbors said. “Now we are going to take another plane on the road. The kids are not in school yet.

“…I hope we can play with a lot of improvement and a lot of energy.”

It may be tough for fans to see, but Neighbors believes there was improvement despite the back-to-back 34-point losses.

“It’s not going to always show up on the scoreboard against (teams like) Texas and LSU,” Neighbors said. “But hopefully it does against the people that are in similar situations with us in the league. This is one of those moments.”

Arkansas follows up Thursday’s trip to Auburn with a Sunday noon home game against No. 16 Tenneesse (13-1) at Bud Walton Arena.

Neighbors is cautious of his team getting too down on itself against the tough opening slate in the SEC, which features 4 teams in the Associated Press Top 10 and seven in the Top 25.

“I think they have picked up things very well and I hope it is not because they have gotten used to losing,” Neighbors said. “That is what I a worry about. I don’t want them to get used to losing.

“I think we understand and have a clear sense of reality – that it is going to be important to play well against Auburn, even moreso than against Texas because of what the reality of the situation is.

“I think they have handled it really well.”

Texas transfer DeYona Gatson leads Auburn while scoring 22.7 points and grabbing 8.4 rebounds.

Former Razorback Taliah Scott, a Florida native who transferred after one season at Arkansas, is now at Auburn.

Scott, a 5-9 guard, is averaging 20.3 points, but has not played in Auburn’s last nine games due to an injury.

She was hurt after scoring 26, 28 and 7 points while hitting 16 of her 32 3-point attempts in her first three games as a Tiger.

Auburn junior guard and former starter Kaitlyn Duhon had started four games and averaged 7.3 points while playing 25 minutes per game, but left the team in December.

“I know that Taliah has been listed as out for nine games, but we have worked on if she plays as well,” Neighbors said. “They have also had a roster change and it looks like somebody won’t be back.

“We try to prepare for their best line up that they can possibly field. If you guard them, then you make the adjustments on the fly.”

Scott now plays for Auburn head coach and former Arkansas, UALR, Arkansas-Fort Smith and Texas assistant Johnnie Taylor, now in her third season with the Tigers.

Arkansas has the SEC’s leading scorer in 5-7 guard Izzy Higginbottom, averaging 23.8 points per contest.

Per Neighbors, Higginbottom is limited to one practice and the two games per week due to injuries to her foot, knee and hip.

“The kids are not in school yet, so it’s our last kind of road trip without having classes to be scheduled [around],” Neighbors said. “So I hope we play with a lot of improvement and a lot of energy.

“I think confidence is key. Who’s been able to keep their head up? Who’s been able to play through a loss and improve?

“We’ll have to overcome the travel and being on the road, but I think you’ll tell a lot by what happens from tip to that first media timeout.”

Photo by John D. James