Arkansas buries Ole Miss
By: U of A Media Services
Updated: March 3, 2013
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -
University of Arkansas senior Sarah Watkins dropped in a game-high 22 points
leading the Razorback women's basketball team to a 93-52 win over Ole Miss in
the Southeastern Conference finale in Bud Walton Arena on Senior Day
Sunday.
Watkins and the Razorbacks shot a
season-best 60 percent going 36-60 from the floor and hit a season-best 12 three
pointers, just one shy of the school record. The 41-point win is a program-best
against and SEC team.
"I wanted to go out and play without
thinking," Watkins said. "I just wanted to play and it worked
out."
"We got off to a good start and once we got
the lead we were able to run away from them," Arkansas head coach Tom Collen
said. "There is no question that Sarah deserves to start and we are a better
team with her on the floor. My biggest fear on Senior Day is that the team is
uptight and we were to start but we were able to overcome that and settle
down."
Nine players scored for Arkansas and four
were in double figures led by Watkins. Quistelle Williams had 16 and Erin
Gatling and Dominique Wilson had 13 each for
Arkansas.
Ole Miss opened game on a 5-0 run forcing
three Arkansas turnovers in the early minutes. The Lady Rebels stretched the
lead to 8-2 as the turnovers continued for the Razorbacks. Arkansas committed
six turnovers in the first seven possessions of the
game.
Calli Berna scored Arkansas' first five
points and hit a big three as the Razorbacks woke up offensively. Berna
finished with eight points, nine assists and six rebounds in the
win.
The Razorbacks stayed the course and Berna
hit a three off an in bounds play giving Arkansas its first lead, 14-12, at the
13:56 mark. That basket capped a 9-0 run for the
Razorbacks.
The fire continued for Arkansas as they had
firm control of the momentum and the Razorbacks put together an 11-2 run over
nearly a four minute stretch as the home team expanded the lead to 12, 32-20, at
the 7:32 mark of the first half.
Arkansas finished the first 20 minutes
shooting 58.6 percent on 17-for-29 from the floor. The Razorbacks were 6-for-11
from beyond the arc and Watkins had 18 points at the break to lead all scorers.
They led by as many as 21 and took a 46-30 lead into the halftime locker room.
Arkansas' 46 first-half points are the most scored in an SEC game this
season.
The hot shooting continued for Arkansas in
the second half as they led by as many as 44 in the final 20 minutes. Arkansas
out-rebounded Ole Miss 42-26 and finished with 29 assists, a school record in an
SEC game for the Razorbacks.
"I think this team can beat anyone," Collen
said. I think this was a shot in the arm as we head to the SEC Tournament. We
need to make a run deep in the tournament and then see what
happens."
As the 8 seed Arkansas will face 9 seed Florida in the second round of the conference tournament Thursday, March 7 at 11 am central time in Duluth, Georgia.
As the 8 seed Arkansas will face 9 seed Florida in the second round of the conference tournament Thursday, March 7 at 11 am central time in Duluth, Georgia.
