arkansas alabama – Syndication Server

Arkansas loses top assistant coach to Alabama

Arkansas has already lost two players to the transfer portal since the end of last season. Now, the Razorbacks women’s basketball team is losing an assistant coach — and to SEC rival Alabama, no less.

The Arkansas Razorbacks women’s basketball team has already lost three players to the transfer portal since the end of last season. Now, the Hogs are losing an assistant coach to SEC rival Alabama.

Pauline Love, a top assistant and recruiting coordinator, has been hired to the same position on Alabama coach Kristy Curry’s staff.

Love had been a member of Mike Neighbors’ Arkansas staff since his first season as head coach of the program in 2017.

“We are so excited to welcome Pauline to our Alabama family,” Curry said in a press released Friday. “She is one of the best recruiters in the country! With her background and having played at three levels along with her experience as a coach, she will bring in valuable knowledge and will share her experiences with our student-athletes to really connect to them. Pauline is going to bring energy and excitement to our program in all areas and our staff is so excited to have her at the Capstone.”

Alabama is coming off a 24-win season that included a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Arkansas went 18-15 last season and fell to Tulsa, 80-62, in the opening round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT). The Hogs have had back to back disappointing seasons under Neighbors, missing the NCAA Tournament in both years after previously making the tournament in 2021 and 2022.

The Hogs have also lost three key players since the transfer portal opened last month.

Taliah Scott, who led the team with 22.1 points per game in her freshman season in 2023-24, entered the portal, as did Saylor Poffenbarger, the team’s leading rebounder.

Jersey Wolfenbarger left via the portal, as well. She recently committed to coach Kim Mulkey’s LSU program.

Walk-off single gives Arkansas softball 1-0 victory over Alabama

Lauren Camenzind hit a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning to help No. 14 Arkansas edge No. 15 Alabama, 1-0, in Friday night’s series-opener at Bogle Park.

Camenzind’s one-out single into center field scored Raigan Kramer from second base for the winning run. Kramer drew a leadoff walk from Alabama starter Kayla Beaver to start the rally. Beaver (14-5) suffered the loss in 8 1/3 innings.

The Razorbacks (31-11 overall, 10-6 conference) tallied nine hits against Beaver. Nia Carter and Cylie Halvorson each had 2-for-4 performances at the plate for Arkansas.

Morgan Leinstock threw a complete-game, four-hit shutout to bookend the Hogs’ victory. Leinstock (11-2) struck out six batters and allowed one walk.

It was the second straight meeting between the Crimson Tide (30-11, 7-9) and the Razorbacks that went to extra innings dating back to last season.

Game 2 of the series is scheduled for an 8 p.m. CDT start Saturday and will be televised nationally by ESPN.

Tide rolled: Arkansas collapses, falls in overtime to Alabama

Boy, if that didn’t sum up Arkansas’ season…

Aaron Estrada broke an 80-all tie and Mark Spears’ fastbreak lay-up gave Alabama a four-point lead with 1:38 left in overtime – the Crimson Tide’s first lead of the game – as the home team rallied to overcome Arkansas in both teams’ regular-season finale Saturday, 92-88.

Alabama didn’t lead a single time in regulation, needing a 3-pointer from Latrell Wrightstell Jr. with 21 seconds left to force overtime. Khalif Battle had a shot at a gamer-winner for Arkansas on the ensuing possession, but the shot went awry.

Estrada and Sears’ back-to-back buckets marked the first time in overtime that either team made two straight buckets without a response from the opponent. It was just enough of a window for Alabama to send Arkansas home with its first losing record in the regular season since 2009-2010.

Sears led Alabama with 22 points and Wrightsell added another 20 while Grant Nelson (14 points and 13 rebounds) and Nick Pringle (10 points and 10 rebounds) had double-doubles.

Battle was one of four Arkansas players in double figures, leading the team with 22 points. But the Razorbacks’ struggles were clear: the Hogs shot just 4 of 20 from 3-point range. Alabama went 9 of 30 from deep.

Arkansas has at least one more game before its season ends. The Razorbacks will play in the first round of next week’s SEC Tournament against either Missouri or Vanderbilt, depending on Georgia’s result later Saturday.

Hogs aim to keep head above water in regular-season finale at Alabama

The Razorbacks basketball team is fighting to stay above .500 in finale against Alabama.

It’s been 14 years since the Arkansas basketball team finished with an overall record below .500. Currently, at the break-even mark of 15-15, heading into Saturday’s regular-season finale at No. 16 Alabama, pride is still on the line.

The last time the Razorbacks finished with more losses than wins was under former Head Coach John Pelphrey, when they ended the season at 14-18 in 2009-10. The Mike Anderson-coached Hogs finished 16-16 in 2015-16.

A win against the Crimson Tide all be guarantees that Arkansas will finish at least 16-16, even with a first-round loss in next weekend’s SEC Tournament. A loss to Alabama on Saturday would force the Hogs into winning at least two games in the conference tournament, for a chance to break even. That could also change with any further postseason tournaments.

Arkansas, who is just 6-11 in SEC play, put on one of its best performances of the season in Wednesday’s 94-83 win over LSU, as the Razorbacks shot 60.8 percent from the field and senior Khalif Battle broke the SEC’s four-game scoring record.

Battle’s game-high 29 points left him one point short of being the first Razorback to ever score at least 30 points in four straight games. But it also game him 141 points over his past four outings, surpassing the previous four-game scoring total of 134, set by Kentucky’s Jodie Meeks in 2009.

Going into Wednesday’s game, Battle had put up a career-high 42 against Missouri, 36 against Vanderbilt and 34 in a slugfest loss to Kentucky.

“I always feel really confident,” Battle said following the LSU game. “I don’t think anyone can guard me one-on-one. Coach told me to go for those and-ones, where they had to make a decision whether to foul or just let me score.”

Although he is listed as a graduate senior, Battle still has two years of eligibility remaining after this season – thanks to COVID. Following the LSU win, he sounded like he was all in for at least one more season in Fayetteville, clarifying to the media that he had “another year left,” when asked about the Senior Night honors.

“I’m a Razorback,” he said. “I’m right here. I’m a Razorback. Ain’t nothing changed. I’m a Razorback until the end.”

Alabama (20-10, 12-5 SEC) comes in with three losses in its last four games, falling to No. 17 Kentucky, 117-95, before bouncing back with a 103-88 win over Ole Miss. But the Crimson Tide has dropped two straight – 81-74 at home to Tennessee and a 105-87 loss at Florida.

In the 68 previous meetings between the Hogs and Tide, Arkansas holds a slight 36-32 advantage in the all-time series. But the two programs are deadlocked at 29-29 since the Razorbacks joined the SEC in 1991.

The game will tip at 11 a.m. Saturday on ESPN, with Tom Hart and former Razorback Jimmy Dykes on the call.

Behind the Numbers: Any optimism in another close loss for Arkansas football?

Do the numbers from Arkansas’ 24-21 loss to Alabama offer any hope for the rest of this season? Let’s take a closer look.

For the fourth time this season, the Arkansas Razorbacks were on the losing end of a one-score game. Saturday’s 24-21 loss to No. 11 Alabama was what many, including both Sam Pittman and Hunter Yurachek, consider to be a moral victory.

Obviously, moral victories are not the goal and losing games shouldn’t sit well with anyone. However, the positives from those close losses shouldn’t be completely ignored. They may be outweighed by the negatives that ultimately cost Arkansas the game, but they shouldn’t be ignored.

There’s a lot to be happy about in the Hogs’ performance on Saturday and there’s still a lot of issues that need to be addressed with this team.

Let’s take a closer look at the key numbers from Saturday’s loss to Alabama and see if there’s reason to be optimistic for the rest of Arkansas’ season.

Everything Sam Pittman said after Arkansas fell at Alabama

Sam Pittman believes his team is still good. Reasonable people do, too. But eventually, the Hogs have to win.

The Arkansas football team has lost five straight games in 2023 after falling Saturday to Alabama.

Four of those five have been by one possession, a fact that is of little consolation to a Razorbacks fan base that is exhausted. Of little consolation to Arkansas coach Sam Pittman, too, who has continually said his team hasn’t quit on the season.

It’s clear he’s right. But saying so without the victories following won’t earn him any favors from people who seek figurative blood. His comments after the 24-21 defeat Saturday made that clear.

What was also clear is that Pittman believes his team is still headed toward a bowl. The final stretch of four of the final five at home suggest a distinct possibility.

Here’s what else Pittman had to say after Alabama.

Hogs Heartbreak: Arkansas’ rally falls short against Alabama

Arkansas pulled within three points in the fourth quarter, putting a scare into the Crimson Tide.

No. 16 was a bit more difficult that just about everyone figured.

But it came.

No. 11 Alabama beat Arkansas for the 16th straight time on Saturday as the Crimson Tide had to hold off a Razorbacks charge in the second half, 24-21.

Arkansas pulled within that three-point margin with a touchdown and ensuing two-point conversion with 10:59 left. The two teams traded drives before Alabama ran out the final 5:19 with two third-down conversions on the drive.

The Razorbacks were the superior in the second half, outgaining Alabama 152 yards to 141 and outscoring the Tide 15-3. The difference, though, was a first half in which Alabama scored touchdowns on three straight possessions, countering Arkansas’ first two possessions that each ended in field goals.

After those two drives, Arkansas went three-and-out on every other series in the first half before finding a spark in the second.

Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson went 14 of 24 passing for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Isaiah Sategna caught the first late in the third quarter and Rashod Dubinion, who received more playing time because of an injury to Rocket Sanders, caught the second to pull Arkansas within three points.

The Razorbacks are back home for Week 8 after four straight games away from Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mississippi State will be in Fayetteville for another 11 a.m. kick.

Arkansas – Alabama: LIVE updates, scores and highlights from second half

Arkansas couldn’t do anything to slow down Alabama in the first half. The Hogs trail 21-6. Follow along for second half updates from Tuscaloosa.

After jumping out to a quick 6-0 lead, Alabama responded with 21 unanswered points in the first half in Tuscaloosa.

Since [autotag]Cam Little[/autotag]’s second field goal of the game, the Arkansas offense was only able to put up 17 yards of total offense. They went three-and-out four times, which kept the Arkansas defense on the field much longer than you’d like to see.

[autotag]KJ Jefferson[/autotag] got off to a decent start throwing, but the Hogs haven’t really gotten back to what was working early on in the game. They have 17 rushing attempts for just 18 total yards on the Alabama defense.

If Arkansas can’t get anything going offensively, it could get ugly in Tuscaloosa for this second half.

Follow along for live updates, scores and highlights from all of the second half action from Arkansas and Alabama.

Rocket Sanders among four missing starters for Arkansas vs Alabama

Arkansas’ preseason All-American running back has less than 100 yards in three games this year.

Preseason All-American running back Rocket Sanders will not play for Arkansas in the Razorbacks’ Week 7 game against Alabama as a knee injury that kept him out from Week 2-4 returned.

Sanders tweaked his knee in the team’s season opener against Western Carolina and has had just 91 yards on 34 carries over three games this season. He had more than 1,300 yards in 2022 leading to the preseason honors.

Instead, Arkansas was just 2-4 through the halfway point of its season in large part because of injuries and ineffectiveness.

Sanders was not the only starter missing because of injury. No. 1 linebacker Chris Paul, defensive tackle Cam Ball and cornerback Jaylon Braxton were all named as ‘out’ against Alabama, as well.

The teams were set to kick at 11 a.m. from Tuscaloosa.

Arkansas – Alabama: LIVE updates, scores and highlights from first half

Can Arkansas finally beat Alabama and turn their season around? Follow along for live updates and highlights from the first half in Tuscaloosa.

The [autotag]Arkansas Razorbacks[/autotag] (2-4, 0-3 SEC) enter Saturday’s early morning tilt with the No. 11 Alabama Crimson Tide (5-1, 3-0) in desperate need of a win.

[autotag]Sam Pittman[/autotag]’s team is in the midst of a four-game losing streak and losing this week would put their bowl game hopes in serious jeopardy. Unfortunately, getting said victory is much easier said than done.

Not only is [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag]’s Crimson Tide team ranked No. 11 in the country and playing really good football, but they’ve owned the matchup with Arkansas in recent history. Alabama has not lost to the Hogs in 16 years, a streak that started in 2007 – Saban’s first year as head coach of the Tide.

It’s a very tall task for a team that has struggled as much as Arkansas has, to go into Tuscaloosa and knock off a surging Alabama squad. But the Hogs are desperate and it’s an early, 11:00 a.m. kickoff. Crazier things have happened.

Follow along for key updates, scores and highlights from the first half of Arkansas and Alabama in Tuscaloosa.