Arkansas women win against ORU

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas forced Oral Roberts to commit 12 turnovers in the first half on Wednesday and the Golden Eagles were unable to turn the women’s game around in the second half.

The Razorbacks (5-2) forced 12 first-half turnovers and committed only six of their own to lead, 38-23, at halftime. They outscored the Golden Eagles (3-5), 17-2, in the first half on points off of turnovers en route to a 74-61 win Wednesday night at Bud Walton Arena.

“That was huge,” said Arkansas women’s head basketball coach Mike Neighbors. “We got our hands in the passing lanes and got in the bonus early in the first half.

“Defense led to offense tonight. They were sending four people back in transition defense as soon as a shot went up but when you get a live ball turnover it’s hard for them to get back.”

Arkansas made 24 of 29, 82.8 percent, free throws in the game. Oral Roberts shot 77.8 percent, 14 of 18.

Neighbors said his Razorbacks “followed their game plan” by defending the visiting 3-pointers and allowing only four attempts from deep in the first half.

“The game plan was not allowing them even to attempt threes even if it meant sacrificing a few twos around the basket,” Neighbors said.

“Certainly didn’t want (Lakota) Beatty (1-for-1) or (Rylie) Torrey (0-for-5) to get going. They only attempted four in the first half and one of them was at the buzzer.”

Oral Roberts made 2 of 4 treys in the first half and

5 of 18 for the game, allowing Arkansas to live with only hitting 4 of 20 attempts. Chelsea Dungee shot

0-for-5 on treys, yet she led Arkansas with 21 points hitting 7 of 12 twos and a perfect 7 of 7 free throws.

Senior guard Malica Monk scored 17 points. Junior guard Jailyn Mason scored 12 points with six rebounds. Center Kiara Williams led Arkansas with

11 rebounds.

“A little funky offensively for us, but a lot of that had to do with their defense,” Neighbors said. “They’ve been to Kansas and to Iowa, two tough places to play, and for us to get off to a good start was really big. We withstood a little bit of a lull in the third quarter and early in the fourth quarter and then finished strong.”

Oral Roberts’ Keni Jo Lippe led all scorers with 23 points and Montserrat Brotons scored 16.

Maya Mayberry, the daughter of former Razorbacks men’s team great and current Oral Roberts assistant coach Lee Mayberry, fouled out scoring seven points with three rebounds.

Neighbors especially lauded Mason, whom the second-year coach inherited last season as a sophomore returning from former Arkansas coach Jimmy Dykes’ final Razorbacks team.

“I affectionately call her a fungus because she just grows on you,” Neighbors said of admitting last season that he initially underrated Mason’s talent. “And like a fungus, she spreads her impact a lot of ways during games.”

Dungee said the Razorbacks “played with energy” in a Sunday victory over Wisconsin (6-2) to complete three games in three days in the Challenge in Music City tournament in Nashville, Tenn. She said they “picked up the same energy” on Wednesday.

“We took away their threes, which is what they do, and did what we are good at,” Mason said. “And the turnovers we caused turned into points.”

Arkansas will visit Iowa State (5-1) Saturday in Ames, Iowa.