Rested Arkansas looks to end 3-game losing skid when it hosts UCA on Sunday

BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON

FAYETTEVILLE – When your team goes on Christmas break, there’s one key thing that has to get accomplished before moving on to the rest of the season.

Arkansas women’s head basketball coach Mike Neighbors got to check that off the night after Christmas.

“That is always mission number one when getting back from the holidays – get everybody back safe and on time,” Neighbors said Saturday afternoon. “We did and had a good practice the night after Christmas, good day today and we’ll be ready to go Sunday. Everybody is back and everybody is healthy.”

Arkansas (6-8) will be trying to end a three-game losing streak when it hosts the University of Central Arkansas (6-4) Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. at Bud Walton Arena.

The Razorbacks have not played since losing to Liberty 75-61 and Troy 77-69 on Dec. 18 and 19 in the Harrah’s Cherokee Invitational in Cherokee, N.C.

“It was very good to get a break, much-needed,” Neighbors said. “The holiday with the family is never the same if you are coming off a loss – much less three in a row.

“It was tough on us, but allowed us to get to the time of the year where we really start stripping things away rather than adding things. We kind of know what we have now and we are treating UCA like our first game of the next part of the season.

“We are not waiting until the SEC part. Good to get back and reflect, focus on a few things and I think that was really important and gas carried over to our practices.”

One thing Arkansas must get corrected is slow starts and slow finishes – something that has plagued the Razorbacks in all three outings of the current skid.

Arkansas has played well in the second and third quarters in that trio of defeats.

“I honestly think it has something to do with rotation because how we start and how we tend to have those endings with the rotations we get caught in,” Neighbors said. “That’s on me in making sure we get the right line ups and get the right match ups.

“So I think you are going to see some earlier subs. We have toyed with changing the line up to start the game, but there has always been a factor to keep us from doing it. We are still at that point.

“It will be our normal starters, but I think you will see some rotational changes.”

UCA won 6 of its first 8 games this season with a win over UALR, but have lost the last two outings – a 65-49 defeat to ULM and 55-53 one to Alabama A&M in the Tulane Holiday Tournament in New Orleans.

It is veteran UCA line up led by Jade Upshaw (15.6) and Kinley Fisher (111.9) and featuring several former Arkansas high school standouts.

“One of the first things our kids noticed when they looked at the scout was senior, senior, senior, senior, senior,” Neighbors said. “They are kids that we had some familiarity with – and they have with each other as well.

“I don’t want to speaks for Tony and what he thinks about his team, but I think it is one of the best UCA teams that we have faced – I know that,” Neighbors said. “I think they have showed flashes of what they are going to be once they get into their league.

The Sugar Bears shot 50 percent from the field in November games, 35 in December, but have kept it solid defensively and are holding foes under an averaged of 60 points per contest.

“And just because are not making them, doesn’t mean that are not gonna start again,” Neighbors said. “I think they are good shooters. Some of their percentages are misleading. We know that everybody (in-state) is looking at us and thinking this is their opportunity and have a chance to get them.

“We know they will roll in here unintimidated. They have played at Kansas State, played Oklahoma State and we’ve got some common opponents. They beat UALR so I know they will come in here confident and we are fully prepared for that to be the case.”

Danika Galea has given Arkansas a nice lift off the bench and helped Vera Ojenuwa inside.

“The timing of her injury was really unfortunate for a lot of reasons, but really because of the progress she was making,” Neighbors said. “She is back to that point…I think she can give us 18 to 20 minutes if we need it. That allows Vera to play a little more aggressive and not have to worry about foul trouble as much. Those two together make a really nice tandem.”

The introduction of guard Phoenix Stotijn into the lineup once she got eligible on Dec. 15 has been a help for Razorback star Izzy Higginbottom, who leads the SEC in scoring and is fourth nationally at 23.4 points per game.

“It takes Izzy off the ball more and she is getting more catch and shoots,” Neighbors said. “I think she got more of those in North Carolina than she had the first 11 games of the year.

“It affects our rotation, it affects our chemistry. So another game before the SEC is really valuable for us.”

Photo by John D. James