FAYETTEVILLE — With no exhibition games to start the season, the No. 14 Arkansas women showed some rust early in their season opener Wednesday.
The Razorbacks heated up by the end of the first quarter, though, and blew past Oral Roberts 96-49 at Bud Walton Arena.
"Without having those (exhibition games) this is technically the first time that we've seen a game like feel," Arkansas guard Destiny Slocum said. "So I feel like for us this was a good game to power through that, work off the rust, and just have a positive and momentous thing going forward to Florida."
Arkansas, which is scheduled to play again Friday against Wake Forest in the Gulf Coast Showcase in Fort Myers, Fla., missed seven of its first eight shots against ORU, but the Razorbacks finished the first quarter on a 17-2 run to go ahead 17-6.
Arkansas 96, ORU 49
RECORDS Arkansas 1-0; ORU 0-1
LEADING SCORERS Arkansas: Destiny Slocum, 22; ORU: Faith Paramore, 14
FIELD GOALS Arkansas 31-79; ORU 17-52
TURNOVERS Arkansas 9; ORU 29
NOTEWORTHY Former Arkansas all-conference guard Lee Mayberry (1988-92) is an assistant coach at ORU. Mayberry ranks first in steals, second in assists and third in points in Razorback history.
UP NEXT Arkansas is scheduled to play Wake Forest on Friday at 10:30 a.m. in the Gulf Coast Showcase in Fort Myers, Fla.
Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors said the game — the Razorbacks' first since the covid-19 outbreak — felt different.
"It wasn't the same," Neighbors said. "It was just different. Took some getting used to."
Slocum, a graduate transfer from Oregon State, scored 22 points in her debut for the Razorbacks. Slocum made 9 of 14 field goal attempts.
"This was the longest preseason I've ever been a part of," Slocum said.
Arkansas made 31 of 79 shots, including 8 of 29 from 3-point range. The normally proficient Razorbacks did not hit a 3-pointer until 12 minutes into the game.
Aided by 17 first-half ORU turnovers, the Razorbacks scored 17 points off turnovers in the first half and led 45-19 at halftime.
The Razorbacks didn't let up in the second half and scored 31 points in the third quarter to extend the lead to 76-36.
Arkansas' leading returning scorer, Chelsea Dungee, scored 17 points, recorded 3 rebounds and made 8 of 11 free throws. Erynn Barnum and Makayla Daniels each added 14 for the Razorbacks, and Marquesha Davis had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Taylah Thomas led the Razorbacks with 13 rebounds.
The Arkansas offense was helped by the defense, the Razorbacks had 18 steals and scored 30 points off turnovers. Davis led the team with five steals.
Neighbors said Davis is the "best on-ball defender" the Razorbacks have had in two years.
Oral Roberts lost its only returning starter, Keni Jo Lippe, in the first quarter with an ankle injury. Lippe was an All-Summit League first-team selection last season.
Faith Paramore came off the bench to lead ORU with 14 points.
The Razorbacks played 13 of an available 14 players, and only Macy Weaver did not score.
The upcoming trip to Florida will include three games for Arkansas. Following the Wake Forest game Friday, the Razorbacks are scheduled to play Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday and Maryland on Sunday.
Slocum began her playing career at Maryland in 2016 and was the Big Ten newcomer of the year.