Preview – Arkansas @ No. 10 Mississippi State

INFO
Date: Thursday, Feb. 27
Time: 8 p.m.
Opponent: No. 10/9 Mississippi State
Location: Humphrey Coliseum
TV: SEC Network (Tiffany Greene & Carolyn Peck)

LAST TIME OUT

• Arkansas had its three-game winning streak snapped on Sunday afternoon, as the Hogs fell to Florida, 83-80. Chelsea Dungee had a chance to tie it at the buzzer, but her deep three-point attempt would not go.
• Arkansas was led by A’Tyanna Gaulden and Amber Ramirez on Sunday afternoon in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center, as both went for 17 points. Dungee also reached double figures for the Hogs, going for 12 points.
• Arkansas was nearly able to overcome what was once a 14-point deficit, shrinking the Gator lead to just one on a Ramirez three from the right corner. However, a runner from Kiara Smith of the Gators stretched the lead back out to three.
• After a stop, Dungee put up a three in transition that nearly went down. After a lengthy review, and a foul on the Hogs on the ensuing inbounds play, Dungee would get a second look to tie it up after a steal, but it wouldn’t fall at the final buzzer.
• Gaulden’s 17 points set a new career high. She had an efficient afternoon, going six of nine in the game.
• Per usual, she also led the Hogs in assists, tallying four of them.
• Ramirez went for 15+ for the third straight game.
• Dungee led the Hogs on the glass against the Gators, going for seven rebounds.
• Sophomore guard Rokia Doumbia also went for seven boards.
• Senior Kiara Williams was excellent off the pine, going for nine points and four rebounds, three of which came on the offensive glass.

STORYLINES

• Redshirt junior guard A’Tyanna “IT” Gaulden has been building her case for sixth woman of the year in the SEC.
• Gaulden has repeatedly given the Hogs a spark off the bench, but was at her best this weekend at Florida, when she went for a career-high 17 points.
• Gaulden has provided double-digit scoring punch off the pine seven times so far this season.
• However, the redshirt junior guard’s largest impact so far this season has been her ability to get her teammates involved, as Gaulden leads the Hogs in assists this season, with 87.
• Gaulden needs just two more assists to crack the program’s top-20 for single season assists.
• Her 53 helpers in SEC only games is tied for ninth-best in the league.
• Gaulden is the only Razorback this season with multiple games with 6+ assists (four), including a career-best seven assist performance at South Carolina.
• She also went for six at Cal, against Northwestern State and at Vandy.
• Through 14 games in the SEC, Gaulden is third in the league in Assist/Turnover Ratio (2.5).
• Senior Kiara Williams joined elite defensive company last week, as she recorded her 100th career block against Tennessee.
• Williams is now just one of 10 Razorbacks to ever block 100 or more shots over a career.
• Williams reached the milestone despite only playing in 14 games so far this season.
• Williams recorded one of the best single seasons in terms of defending the basket last season, racking up 54 blocks, which was the fourth-best total in a single-season in program history.

SCOUTING MISSISSIPPI STATE

• Mississippi State comes into the matchup ranked 10th in the AP Poll. The Bulldogs come into the game at 23-5, including an impressive 11-3 record in conference play.
• Mississippi State comes into Thursday’s game off of only their third loss in conference play, as the Bulldogs lost at the buzzer to Alabama on Sunday, 66-64, at Humphrey Coliseum.
• The Bulldogs hold a narrow edge in the all-time series, leading the Razorbacks 18-21. However, MSU has dominated the series lately, winning the last nine in a row.
• The last time the two teams met came in last year’s SEC Championship game, which the Bulldogs won, 101-70.
• Mississippi State has been led this season by freshman sensation Rickea Jackson, who leads the squad with 15 points per game. She’s been even better in conference play, averaging 17.7 points per game.
• Jackson was named the SEC’s Freshman of the Week Monday for the third time this season.
• Jessika Carter has dominated the glass for the Bulldogs this season, pulling down 9.0 of them per game.
• Myah Taylor, meanwhile, leads the Bulldogs in assists, with 122 of them, the fifth most in the conference.
• Thursday night’s game figures to be a shootout, as the Hogs and ‘Dogs are second and third in the league in scoring in conference only games, respectively.
• It will also be a test of two different styles – Arkansas has the second fewest turnovers of teams in the league in conference only games (167), while Mississippi State has forced the most turnovers in the league (286).

MORE INFORMATION

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