Ole Miss snapped a five-game losing streak with an 88-81 win against Florida this past Thursday before suffering a 72-57 loss to in-state rival Mississippi State on Sunday. The Lady Rebels (8-12, 1-6 Southeastern Conference) return home to play the Arkansas Razorbacks (14-6, 2-5 SEC) tonight at 7 p.m. at Tad Smith Coliseum. This is the first of two matchups with the Razorbacks this year, with the return meeting in Fayetteville, Ark., in the last game of the season.
File Photo (Phillip Waller)
Junior point guard Valencia McFarland
Head coach Brett Frank said he knows the Lady Rebels have to be prepared for the Razorbacks.
“Arkansas is a well-coached team, they’re competitive every year, and they have some big-time, quality wins already this season,” Frank said. “It’s just one of those games, like almost every game in the SEC — you have to come, you have to be prepared, you have to know their personnel.”
Arkansas was ranked earlier this month, staying in the polls for two weeks and peaking at No. 23. However, two straight losses to Auburn and Texas A&M knocked them out of the rankings.
Arkansas travels to Oxford, having lost three of its last four games in SEC play. Senior point guard Sarah Watkins and junior forward Keira Peak, who average 12.2 and 11 points, respectively, lead the Razorbacks in scoring this season. Peak is also second on the team in rebounds, averaging 6.2 per game, while senior forward Quistelle Williams leads the team with 6.9 rebounds per game.
“The better (Watkins) plays, the better they play,” Frank said. “It will be a huge task for us to be able to contain her and be able to slow her.”
Three players are averaging more than 11 points per game for the Lady Rebels. Sophomore forward Tia Faleru leads the way, averaging 11.9 points per game, followed by junior point guard Valencia McFarland and junior guard Diara Moore, who average 11.7 and 11.2 points per game, respectively. Faleru also leads the Lady Rebels in rebounding with 4.6 per game, and McFarland is second on the team with 4.3 rebounds per game.
Military Appreciation Night
Current and former military personnel who wish to attend the game will receive free admission for Military Appreciation Night. In addition, the first 500 fans will receive a free camo koozie.
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