Lady Razorbacks: Find way to win

ROB KEYS
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- When No. 1 Connecticut beat No. 2 Tennessee on Saturday, it was an upset only because the Lady Vols were playing on their home court.
The more legitimate upset of the mighty Lady Vols (11-2, 1-0 SEC) came back on Nov. 14, at the hands of Louisiana Tech. And it is that game that Arkansas Coach Gary Blair will point to when his Lady Razorbacks take the floor at Thompson-Boling Arena at 6 tonight.
"I think the thing that you can take from that ballgame is that the team that was supposed to win didn't win," Blair said. "Louisiana Tech went in there with no fear ... and I think that's what you've got to do.
"So we're not going to go in there quietly and hope to lose close or be respectful. We're going in there to try to find a way to win."
That will be a daunting task for Arkansas (9-3), which has dropped three of its last four games, and Blair said one thing is obvious.
"The one thing we have to do against Tennessee is get back to playing well," Blair said.
More specifically, Arkansas must get more production from senior forward Karyn Karlin, who will be replaced in the starting lineup tonight by either Celia Anderson or Brandi Whitehead.
In Arkansas' last five games, Karlin has averaged more than 20 minutes per game, but just 3.6 points on 28 percent shooting from the field.
Point guards Amy Wright and India Lewis also must provide more leadership, making sure all the Lady Razorbacks are on the same page offensively and defensively.
Their lack of on-court leadership has been particularly galling to Blair, who had unkind words for Wright and Lewis following last Monday's home loss to George Washington.
"I've got a sophomore and a freshman that have got to start making better decisions offensively and defensively, or it's going to be a long year," Blair said of Wright and Lewis, respectively.
Part of the problem, Blair said, is that Wright and Lewis aren't setting the tone communicationwise.
"I told our kids, 'Don't you think the fans get tired of hearing Coach [Vic] Schaefer and me talk during the ballgame? We would rather shut up if we had somebody out there that would talk on the court,' " Blair said.
"Until we find [leadership and communication], there are going to be more problems down the way."
Tennessee, meanwhile, has different kinds of problems. Barring a rash of catastrophic injuries, the Lady Vols know they are headed for the NCAA Tournament.
But after being pushed around by Connecticut, what Tennessee likely will want to prove tonight is that it can play a tough, physical brand of basketball.
The Lady Vols also will be playing their third game in five days, and the fourth of five games in an 11-day stretch.
"Anytime you put yourself in this position, you just live with it ... and you have a very narrow focus," Tennessee Coach Pat Summitt said.
Against Arkansas, Tennessee will focus on exploiting its size advantage and being efficient in its transition offense rather than being lured into a full-blown track meet of a game.
"Arkansas is a team that is always a challenge for us because they like to get up and down the court," Summitt said. "So they're a team that could pose some problems for us considering our three-game situation."
Of course, that three-game situation is exactly why Blair thinks his team has a chance of handing Tennessee its biggest upset loss of the season.
"I'd rather play Tennessee right now," Blair said.

Arkansas women at No. 2 Tennessee
WHEN 6 tonight
WHERE Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, Tenn.
RECORDS Arkansas is 9-3; Tennessee is 11-2, 1-0 SEC
SERIES Tennessee leads 8-1
RADIO Lady Razorback Radio Network

This article was published on Monday, January 10, 2000

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