TOP 25 WOMEN

UA women slam 5th foe by 30-plus

Arkansas guard Chelsea Dungee (left) drives Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, past Belmont guard Macie Culbertson during the first half of play in Bud Walton Arena. Visit nwadg.com/photos to see more photographs from the game.
Arkansas guard Chelsea Dungee (left) drives Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, past Belmont guard Macie Culbertson during the first half of play in Bud Walton Arena. Visit nwadg.com/photos to see more photographs from the game.

FAYETTEVILLE -- The No. 20 University of Arkansas women's basketball team made its first five shots and never let Belmont get going Wednesday night in Walton Arena.

Arkansas Coach Mike Neighbors acknowledged the strong start was the difference in a 91-60 rout of the Bruins.

"I think the fact that we came out so aggressively in the first four minutes of the game, I think that really set the tone," Neighbors said. "And then we got them in foul trouble, and they had to play some lineups they aren't used to playing.

"They look up and it's 26-11 at the end of the first, and we've had some missed shots that were wide open. Again, about as good as we could play in the first half."

Arkansas (5-0) used a 23-2 first-half run to put the game away early. Belmont (3-2) scored back-to-back buckets to get within 13-9, but Chelsea Dungee and Makayla Daniels took over from there, combining for the first 15 points of the 23-2 surge.

Daniels, the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week, started it with her own 8-2 run to give Arkansas a 21-11 advantage. Dungee followed with a driving layup, a three-pointer and two free throws as the lead ballooned to 28-11 less than a minute into the second quarter.

Alexis Tolefree ended the spurt with two free throws for a 36-11 lead with 7:23 left in the first half.

The Razorbacks shot 59% (19 of 32) from the floor and 9 of 14 (64%) from three-point range in the first two quarters as they grabbed a 55-22 halftime advantage.

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Dungee, a 5-11 junior guard, said a good start is a focal point for the Razorbacks.

"That's something we want to continue, and that's something we want to set in stone just as our foundation," Dungee said. "That's something we didn't do too well last year, and that's something we wanted to focus on this year, and I think we did that. I think we did well."

Dungee, Daniels and Tolefree combined for 44 of Arkansas' 55 first-half points. They made 15 of 21 shots and 7 of 11 from three-point range. Dungee scored 19 in the first half.

Dungee and Daniels led the way with 21 points each for the game, while Tolefree added 20.

The Razorbacks have won every game by 30 or more points, which has surprised Neighbors.

"If you would have told me when we made the schedule back this time last year that we would be without Jailyn Mason, Kiara Williams, Destinee Oberg and Macy Weaver against the lineups we knew we were gonna be facing, I probably would have taken 4-1, 3-2 and close games in the others," he said. "I would have never predicted it. I think it's about us. We've shot it that well. We're putting in new things each week. Even if you're prepared, we've got some twists that come in each week."

Ellie Harmeyer, a 6-foot senior, led all scorers with 24 points for Belmont, while Maddie Wright was also in double figures with 11.

Arkansas won't return to Walton Arena until Dec. 7 when it hosts Kansas State. The Razorbacks will next play at California on Saturday afternoon. The tipoff is slated for 4 p.m. Central.

photo

NWA Democrat-Gazette

Arkansas guard Alexis Tolefree (2) drives to the basket past Belmont guard Grace Smith during the Razorbacks’ 91-60 victory Wednesday at Walton Arena in Fayetteville. Tolefree had 20 points for the Razorbacks. More photos are available at arkansasonline.com/1121basketball.

Sports on 11/21/2019

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