Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Road-weary Hogs will face tough test
FAYETTEVILLE — There’s no rest for the road-weary Arkansas women’s basketball team.
Arkansas (11-9, 2-5 SEC) has spent more time on the road than a touring rock band lately, and the Razorbacks will continue that trend tonight as they travel to South Carolina to take on the defending national champion Gamecocks. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on the SEC Network.
Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors said his team is eager to end this road swing, which is understandable because the Razorbacks are currently 1-3 on this stretch. The Razorbacks have lost five of their last six games and are likely facing the best team of the group today. Arkansas finally ends this brutal stretch with a home game next Monday against Kentucky in Walton Arena.
“A lot of coaches say they don’t look ahead, but we do. I do,” Neighbors said. “I’m really looking forward to Monday night. It’s our Monday night
game, so a little bit of departure from our normal Sunday game.”
Before Arkansas can look ahead to Kentucky, it first must deal with No. 5 South Carolina, which has beaten Arkansas in five straight meetings.
Arkansas is hopeful to have second-leading scorer Devin Cosper for tonight’s game. Cosper has missed the past two games with an ankle injury, and Neighbors said it’s still day-to-day on when she may return. Cosper did practice Tuesday.
“When you say day-to-day, a lot of people think it means she’s getting better,” Neighbors said. “That’s not always the case. It feels good one day, and they work out. And then it doesn’t feel as good the next day. So she really, truly is hour-to-hour now.”
In addition to her 15.3 points per game, Neighbors said his team has missed Cosper’s play on the defensive side. Against South Carolina (16-3, 5-2), the Razorbacks need all the defense they can muster. The Gamecocks have four players scoring in double figures, led by one of the country’s best players in A’ja Wilson. Wilson is scoring 23.4 points per game and 10.9 rebounds.
“We are going to have to focus on making A’ja crowded,” Neighbors said. “A’ja is one of those players who continues to improve. She’s stepping out and hitting threes now. That’s just not fair for a kid that good around the goal to now being able to be somebody you have to guard at the arc, too.”
Neighbors admitted that the injury to Cosper has meant a lot more minutes for some players, specifically guard Malica Monk. Neighbors, a coach who wants to play up-tempo, said his team likely will try to slow the game down to let his players catch a little break.
“Mal has been such a gladiator for us,” Neighbors said. “With Dev out, some of the things we’re asking her to do are just not humanly possible. So we may walk the ball up the floor.”