Arkansas, Alabama desperate to win

Arkansas women vs. Alabama

WHEN
7 Central tonight

WHERE
Walton Arena, Fayetteville

RECORDS
Arkansas is 12-7, 2-4 SEC; Alabama is 13-6, 3-3 SEC

SERIES
Alabama leads 8-4

TV
Family 45 in Northwest Arkansas (Tape-delayed: Friday at 6 p.m.)

RADIO
Lady Razorback Radio Network

GAME INFORMATION

COACHES
Gary Blair (131-76 in seventh season at Arkansas, 341-119 in 15th season overall); Rick Moody (232-98 in 11th season at Alabama, 232-98 in 11th season overall)

KEYS TO VICTORY
Both teams have been plagued by turnovers at times, so whichever team best limits unforced mistakes should have an advantage. Defensively, Arkansas will try to keep Alabama point guard from penetrating, while the Crimson Tide hopes to slow down Karyn Karlin, who has averaged 16 points in the last four games. Alabama team must also recognize Arkansas' variety of offensive sets.

QUOTING ARKANSAS COACH GARY BLAIR
"This game is huge, and I expect us to come out with all the energy in the world."

QUOTING ALABAMA COACH RICK MOODY
"Gary [Blair] runs more plays than I know."

NOTEWORTHY
Arkansas junior guard Wendi Willits needs three points to become the 18th Lady Razorback in history to score 1,000 or more points in a career. "I promise you, if she doesn't break it in this ballgame, we don't have much of a chance of winning this game," Coach Gary Blair said. ... Arkansas point guard Amy Wright leads the SEC in assists per game (5.8) in conference games only. ... Arkansas made 31 of 35 free throws in upsetting then-No. 25 Alabama, 71-67, last February in Tuscaloosa. ... Alabama is 12-1 this season when holding opponents to less than 70 points.

ROB KEYS
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

FAYETTEVILLE -- Alabama is there. Arkansas wants to get there.
"There" is .500 in the SEC, a winning percentage that has proved to be a magical number when it comes to earning a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
In recent years, you could ask any coach in the league what their team needed to do get an invitation to the Big Dance, and the stock response was: Take care of business in the nonconference schedule and finish .500 or better in the SEC.
With seven teams either at .500 or within two games of .500, this season doesn't figure to be an exception.
That is exactly what makes tonight's game between Arkansas (12-7, 2-4 SEC) and Alabama (13-6, 3-3) so interesting.
"This is a huge, huge game for both teams," Arkansas Coach Gary Blair said. "I think the reason it's huge for us is [because] we have a chance to fight our way back into the conference race. It's huge for Alabama because their next opponent is Tennessee.
"They can't afford to get down 3-5, we can't afford to get down 2-5. So, I think both teams are going to come in, lay everything down on the line and it will be one heck of an entertaining game."
A 2-5 SEC hole would probably be too deep for Arkansas to climb out of, especially considering the Lady Razorbacks have two games with No. 13 Auburn -- as well as a game each against No. 3 Georgia and No. 7 LSU -- remaining.
Alabama has dates with Georgia, No. 4 Tennessee, LSU and Auburn looming on its schedule.
But both Blair and Alabama Coach Rick Moody are quick to point out that neither team can look too far ahead.
"When we go 0-4 [to open the conference season], we can't have the luxury of saying we can get to 4-4 or 5-4 or something like that," Blair said. "We've only got the luxury of saying that we can go 3-4."
Said Moody, "We're so young we try to focus on one practice at a time, not to mention one game at a time."
Arkansas and Alabama had similar starts to their conference seasons, with the Lady Razorbacks opening 0-4 and the Crimson Tide 1-3.
The key in Alabama's turnaround has been its ability to win close games. The Crimson Tide is 5-1 in games decided by three points or less, including back-to-back victories over Kentucky and Ole Miss by a combined three points.
"We've had kids step up and make plays, and that has nothing to do with coaching," Moody said. "The deal with our team is we don't have a superstar. We have to get contributions from everyone."
Arkansas, meanwhile, has received a boost in the improved play of senior forward Karyn Karlin, who has averaged 16 points over the last four games.
"I think the thing that scares me right now is that Karyn Karlin is coming off a 26-point game," Moody said. "When she plays like that, they're a legit contender. This may not be the best time for Alabama to play Arkansas -- when Karlin is playing like she has been. When she's healthy and on top of her game, she's one of the best players in the country."
Right now, Arkansas and Alabama are desperate to finish at that magical .500 SEC mark. If they do so, chances are they'll get a chance to prove they're one of the best teams in the country come March.

This article was published on Thursday, February 3, 2000

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