FAYETTEVILLE — A victory might never have felt this good.
Arkansas’ women put themselves in position to make a run at .500 in conference play when the Razorbacks ended a four-game losing streak Thursday night with a 56-53 victory at Ole Miss.
Arkansas (17-8, 5-8 SEC) has three conference games left, all against teams the Razorbacks have already beaten this year.
First up is LSU (17-10, 7-6) at 2 p.m. today at Walton Arena. The Razorbacks beat the Lady Tigers 53-45 in Baton Rouge on Jan. 27.
“When that buzzer went off, it was almost feeling like we won the SEC Tournament,” junior forward Ashley Daniels said of the Ole Miss victory. “Itfelt really good after not winning for a while.”
Daniels had 10 points and 10 rebounds against the Rebels after scoring 22 points with 10 rebounds against Auburn onFeb. 13.
Daniels’ late-season emergence has given Arkansas a much-needed fourth scorer on a team that has been overly dependent on guards C’eiraRicketts and Lyndsay Harris and center Sarah Watkins. Arkansas still needs to improve its field-goal shooting, which is under 40 percent for the year, and its rebounding.
Arkansas Coach Tom Collen said ending the losing streak was an important sign of growth for his team. He said as the losses mounted - the Razorbacks lost 7 of 9 during one stretch - the players were understandably affected.
The Razorbacks had never beaten Ole Miss on the road until Thursday.
“It was a victory we needed,” Collen said. “There’s no way you aren’t affected by losing basketball games mentally. The best way to come back is to come back with a win. To turn it around with a road win is really special.
“To turn it around with aroad win in an environment you’ve never won in the history of your program, that makes it a little bit more special.”
Revenge and redemption certainly helped motivate the Razorbacks against Ole Miss after the Rebels beat Arkansas 69-65 on Jan. 23 at Walton Arena. It remains one of the team’s most disappointing losses of the season, although now the team has eased some of the sting.
Arkansas will face an LSU team that has some of the same motivation. The Lady Tigers, who went to five consecutive Final Fours from 2004-2008, played so poorly against Arkansas earlier this season that Coach Van Chancellor apologized after the game to former players and fans.
“There’s no team they’d rather play than the team thatbeat them down there,” Collen said. “There’s going to be a lot at stake for them.”
The Razorbacks victory in Baton Rouge ended a 16-game losing streak to the Lady Tigers.
“They didn’t like the fact that we came down there and beat them,” Daniels said. “They’re going to come in here and try to really demolish us.”
Collen said while revenge might be a factor, the Lady Tigers have more tangible reasons for wanting to win today.
“They’re a team in unfamiliar territory for their program,” Collen said. “They find themselves on the bubble. They’re on the NCAA bubble. They’re on the bubble to get a bye in the first round of the SEC Tournament. Their backs are against the wall, and I think they’re a little bit more determined.”
Sports, Pages 30 on 02/20/2011