Hogs Defeat Murray State on Elementary Day in Front of Record 11,026 Crowd

FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas women’s basketball (2-0) survived another scare, as the Hogs defeated Murray State (0-1), 82-79, on Arkansas’ 12th Elementary Day. The Hogs were up by as many as 24 points early in the third quarter, but saw that lead slip away, as the Hogs were outscored 48-35 in the second half to cut the game to three points. Arkansas was able to fend off MSU for the win. The Elementary Day was the largest in school history, featuring over 7,000 kids from local area schools, 51 total schools and 135 buses. The number of 11,026 goes down as the fourth best crowd in school history. Arkansas had balanced scoring with six players with 9+ points, led by freshman Taliah Scott’s 25.

Arkansas came up empty on its first five possessions, but Samara Spencer knocked down a triple on the sixth and Scott followed that up with an and-1. After MSU was held off the scoreboard for nearly three minutes, the Racers scored four unanswered points to tie the game at 8-8. Spencer responded with a layup, but MSU tied the game back up with a layup off the fastbreak. At the media timeout taken at 3:41, the game was knotted up at 10-10. Arkansas was held in a scoring drought for nearly three minutes, but Carly Keats drained a triple to cut the MSU lead to two. Sasha Goforth was fouled on a 3-pointer and made one of three shots, as Arkansas trailed the Racers, 17-16 after the first quarter.

Scott came up with a jumper and Goforth delivered a layup off a great Saylor Poffenbarger pass. Two press breaks led to Makayla Daniels layups, forcing MSU to take a timeout. Arkansas was ahead 24-20 just 1:48 into the second frame. The run continued, as Scott delivered two layups, including one coast-to-coast and Spencer drilled a 3-pointer on the 10-0 run. Murray State answered with a 3-pointer, but Arkansas scored six unanswered, including a triple by Daniels, as the Hogs led 36-23 at the halfway point of the quarter. MSU went on a 6-0 run to cut the Hog lead to seven until a Scott spin move for a layup dug the Hogs out of the drought. That layup started an 8-0 run by the Hogs, and after a Poffenbarger layup, the Racers took a timeout, as Arkansas led 42-29 with 1:10 left in the first half. The Hogs closed out the half on a 5-2 run, capped off by Keats’ second triple of the game. Arkansas went into the locker room with a 47-31 edge. Arkansas’ 31 points in the second quarter tied a school record for most points scored in a second quarter of a game.