Tag: Samara Spencer

Spencer named SEC Newcomer of the Year

Arkansas has seven freshmen on the team, including the best one in the SEC.

The future is surely bright for Arkansas basketball.

Razorbacks guard Samara Spencer was named SEC Newcomer of the Year by the USA TODAY Sports Network on Tuesday. The freshman from Fort Lauderdale started 24 of her 28 games this year and averaged 12.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and doled out a team-high 89 assists in helping Arkansas to a 17-12 regular-season record.

Spencer was one of seven freshman on the Razorbacks roster. Her points total was third on the team, behind only sixth-year senior Amber Ramirez and junior Makayla Daniels. Spencer scored in double figures in nine of her last 11 games and twice named SEC Freshman of the Week.

Arkansas finished its regular season on Sunday with a win over Mississippi State. That clinched the No. 8-seed for the SEC Tournament, which begins Wednesday. The Razorbacks play No. 9 Missouri on Thursday at 12 p.m. from Nashville. Arkansas won both meetings against the Tigers this year.

Florida’s Kelly Rae Finley was named Coach of the Year. South Carolina forward Aliyah Boston was Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. Kentucky guard Rhyne Howard joined Boston as a unanimous first-team All-SEC selection.

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Arkansas drops third straight, falls to Ole Miss on the road

Arkansas tied its longest losing streak of the season after falling at Ole Miss on Tuesday night.

Arkansas picked a bad time to tie its longest streak of the season.

The Razorbacks fell Tuesday night at Ole Miss, 70-62, for their third straight loss. It dropped the Hogs to 6-8 in SEC play and into a four-way tie for seventh in league standings. They have two games to play in the regular season.

Arkansas couldn’t overcome a slow start that saw the Rebels jump out to a 22-15 lead after the first quarter. Samara Spencer, Sasha Goforth and Amber Ramirez all scored in double figure for the Razorbacks, led by Spencer’s 19.

But the bigger Rebels scored 16 second-chance points to Arkansas’ four, providing a bulk of the difference in the game. Shakira Austin, Ole Miss’ 6-foot-5 center, had 11 points and 16 rebounds. Madison Scott added 12 points and nine rebounds.

Arkansas is back on the court at Bud Walton Arena for the final time on Thursday against Georgia. The Bulldogs, 7-7 in SEC play, are one game in front of the Hogs, Missouri, Mississippi State and Kentucky in the league standings.

Rough shooting stunts Arkansas against Florida

Arkansas saw its two-game winning streak snapped in Gainesville.

Gainesville has never been the most kind town in the SEC for Arkansas basketball. Thursday was no different.

The No. 18 Gators dispatched Arkansas, 76-67, to snap the Razorbacks’ two-game winning streak and send the Hogs to .500 in conference play this year. Arkansas has four games remaining in the regular season, including two against the teams directly ahead of them in the standings.

Arkansas actually shot a perfect 7-of-7 from the floor in the second quarter, but still lost the frame by nine points as Florida took a 14-point lead into the break. The biggest problem for the Razorbacks were turnovers. Florida scored 23 point off turnovers and outscored Arkansas 22-3 on the fast break.

Samara Spencer, the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week, led the Razorbacks with 19 points and shot 9 of 18 from the floor but Arkansas as a team was only 1 of 13 from 3-point range. Florida was 6 of 18, accounting for the difference in the final score.

Arkansas (16-9, 6-6) is back on the court Sunday at Bud Walton Arena against Kentucky (12-11, 5-8).

LSU’s defense struggles in defeat against Arkansas

Arkansas shoots the lights out from beyond the arc in win over LSU

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The LSU women’s basketball team defense struggles in 90-76 loss to Arkansas. The Razorbacks used strong second and third quarters to put the Tigers away.

Alex Morris led the Tigers with 22 points on 9-18 shooting from the field. LSU’s leading scorer Khayla Point struggled with 13 points on 4-12 shooting from the field. Autumn Newby added 15 points and nine rebounds.

Amber Ramirez led the Razorbacks with 25 points and hit five three-point shots. Makayla Daniels and Samara Spencer both had 20 points apiece. However, the Tigers could not stop the big three from Arkansas.

LSU usually is an excellent defensive team, but not against Arkansas. The Razorbacks scored 90 points and shot 50% from the field. They also shot 52% from the three-point line. Arkansas did a good job moving the basketball, and they had 19 team assist in the game.

The Tigers won the rebounding 39-29, but it did not matter; the Razorbacks shot too well from the field. LSU did not play badly offensively, but their defense let them down.

LSU will return home to play the Kentucky Wildcats on Sunday. The Tigers must play better defense and get more from Pointer to beat a struggling Kentucky team.

Arkansas’ Spencer named SEC Freshman of the Week

Samara Spencer became the first Arkansas player to win SEC Freshman of the Week honors twice since 2017.

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After scoring 19 points and 18 points in wins against Alabama and Mississippi State, Arkansas guard Samara Spencer was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Monday.

Spencer had previously won the award back in November during Arkansas’ nonconference schedule. Winning it this week makes her first Razorbacks player to win the award twice in a season since Jailyn Mason did it in 2017.

Spencer, who is from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, canned five 3-pointers in Arkansas’ win over Mississippi State on the weekend. Three of them came in the third quarter which saw the Hogs go on an 11-0 run and put the game away.

Arkansas (13-6, 3-3) is the only .500 team in the SEC and sits alone in eighth. As of a Monday update on ESPN.com, the Razorbacks are a projected No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament. 

The Hogs host fourth-place LSU on Thursday at Bud Walton Arena and travel to No. 4 Tennessee on Monday.