BASKETBALL
Women’s doubleheader set for Verizon
Arkansas’ women’s team will play its first regular-season game in North Little Rock in 10 years when the Razorbacks face Oklahoma on Dec. 21 at Verizon Arena in the SEC-Big 12 Challenge, it was announced Thursday.
The Arkansas-Oklahoma game will be part of a doubleheader at Verizon Arena along with Texas-Texas A&M.
Arkansas will play Texas on Dec. 20, 2015, at Cheaspeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City with Oklahoma playing Texas A&M in another SEC-Big 12 Challenge doubleheader.
Tipoff times and ticket and television information regarding the games at Verizon Arena will be released at a later date, according to the SEC office.
The games have been scheduled to help promote the 2015 SEC Women’s Tournament in North Little Rock and the 2016 Big 12 Women’s Tournament in Oklahoma City.
Arkansas’ last regular-season game in North Little Rock was on Dec. 16, 2004, when the Razorbacks beat Louisiana-Lafayette 82-68.
— Bob Holt
Portis going to big man camp
Arkansas sophomore forward Bobby Portis is among 10 college players attending the Nike Youth Basketball Big Man Skills Academy in Union, N.J., on Monday-Wednesday.
Portis attended the same camp in 2012, when he was at Little Rock Hall.
This year’s three-day camp will feature NBA players Anthony Davis and Demarcus Cousins along with some NBA coaches.
There will be 20 high school players along with the collegiate players.
Portis was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team last season when he averaged 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots per game.
OUTDOORS
Proposed bird seasons discussed
The Arkansas Game & Fish Commission discussed dove season dates at Thursday’s meeting in Texarkana. Early-season migratory game-bird season selections must be reported to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by Aug. 1. Approval will come during the July meeting. The proposed dates are: Mourning dove and Eurasian collared dove, Sept. 6-Oct. 25 and Dec. 20-Jan. 8 Teal season, Sept. 13-28 Rail season, Sept. 6-Nov. 14 Woodcock season, Nov. 8-Nov. 22 Common snipe season, Nov. 1-Feb. 15 Purple gallinule and common moorhen season, Sept. 1-Nov. 9 Early Canada goose season, Sept. 1-15 Northwest Canada goose zone season, Sept. 20-29 In other business, the commission: Approved the AGFC budget for 2014-2015 at $88,123,246. Approved budget increase of $200,000 to aid in the completion of the Lower Cache River restoration project. Turned down a 23-acre future land donation after the AGFC personnel department determined that property on Highway 270 in Hot Spring County was not suitable for wildlife or nature preserve since it is in a residential and agricultural area. Approved budget increase of $540,987 to be used from state wildlife grant projects. Elected Ron Duncan of Springdale as chairman of the Commission. Emon Mahony of El Dorado was elected vice chairman