Preview – Hogs Open SEC Play at Rupp Arena vs. Kentucky

FAYETTEVILLE – The Arkansas women’s basketball team (12-3) will open the 2024 Southeastern Conference slate at Kentucky (7-7) on Thursday at 6 p.m. Central Time. With Memorial Coliseum under a one-year renovation, the game will be played at Rupp Arena. The game will be broadcast on SECN+.

GAME INFORMATION

Dates: Thursday, Jan. 4
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Opponent: Kentucky
Location: Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.)
Watch: SECN+
Listen: Razorback Sports Network from Learfield
Arkansas Game Notes
Live Stats

STORYLINES

• The Arkansas women’s basketball team ended the non-conference slate on a four-game winning streak to round out the first 15 games, 12-3
• Arkansas defeated Incarnate Word, 67-48, which helped head coach Mike Neighbors achieve 132 wins at Arkansas, which is tied with Tom Collen for the third most by a head women’s basketball coach on The Hill
• With 12 non-conference wins, the Hogs achieved 10+ victories in the non-conference for the second straight season, third under coach Neighbors, as well as 10th time in school history. The Hogs played all 15 non-conference games schools were allowed to play, being one of three in the SEC to schedule the full 15
• Arkansas is now geared up for the SEC season, as the Hogs will open things up at Kentucky on Thursday. The Hogs will have the opportunity to play at Rupp Arena, as Memorial Coliseum is under a one-year renovation
• Kentucky is one of the Hogs’ three home-and-away opponents this season. Arkansas will host the Wildcats at Bud Walton Arena later this month. The Hogs’ other two home-and-away opponents are Alabama and Missouri
• In SEC opening games, Arkansas is 5-27, as well as 1-17 in road league openers. Its’ only win on the road in an SEC opener was at Mississippi State (W, 66-45) on Jan. 5, 2006
• The Hogs are 15-26 in the all-time series against the Wildcats, coming off beating Kentucky on the road last season (W, 71-50) for the first time since 2003
• Taliah Scott leads the Hogs in scoring with 23.0 points per game and is the only player in the SEC to average 20.0+ points per game. She is second in the NCAA in total points with 345, just trailing Caitlin Clark, as well as third in free throw makes (74), field goal attempts (272) and 3-point attempts (124), fourth in free throw attempts (90) and field goal makes (116) and eighth in points per game
• Saylor Poffenbarger’s presence on the glass has been huge for the Hogs, as she leads the team and the league in rebounds per game (12.7) and defensive rebounds [er game (10.4). She is second in the NCAA in both categories and has pulled down 191 boards in just 15 games
• Poffenbarger broke the school record for individual game rebounds with 23 against Florida State. Those 23 boards is the most pulled down by an NCAA DI men’s or women’s player this season and she has had four games with 19+ boards this year, which is the only time an Arkansas player has had that many 19+ rebound games in their career
• Samara Spencer leads the team with 46 assists. Her 296 career assists is No. 15 on the career list
• A huge factor in the Hogs’ success this season has been Maryam Dauda, who paces the team with 29 blocks
• Makayla Daniels is the highest scoring point guard in school history with 1,619 points, which is the seventh most in school history, while holding a program’s most starts (137) and most games played (137). Daniels was selected on the All-SEC Preseason Second Team, as chosen by the league’s coaches