No losses. No blemishes.
Arkansas found out exactly why the South Carolina Gamecocks are the No. 1 team in the country. The Gamecocks, who improved their record to 28-0, crushed the Razorbacks, 98-61, behind 21 points from Ashlyn Watkins and five different players in double figures. Maryam Dauda's team-high 19 points was little consolation.
The Razorbacks got some good news before opening tip. An administrative technical foul was assessed to South Carolina giving the Hogs two free throws before the game even started.
Arkansas hung in throughout the opening exchanges. Two early threes and a layup inside from Dauda gave Arkansas a 12-11 lead midway through the first quarter.
A three from the left wing in the waning seconds of the first quarter from Samara Spencer kept the Razorbacks within four after 10 minutes, 26-22.
South Carolina finally began to flex its muscle on both ends of the floor. South Carolina scored the first 14 points of the second quarter The Razorbacks were held scoreless for over seven minutes, Te-Hina Paopao's three ballooned the South Carolina's lead to 18.
Both teams made four three-pointers in the first half but Arkansas had 20 attempts compared to the Gamecocks' nine. The Razorbacks did go into the break having made three straight layups, but South Carolina led 47-31 after 20 minutes.
Arkansas made a good account of itself, but the second half was mostly a forgone conclusion. The Hogs never got back to within single digits as the Gamecocks got to the basket at will and outscored the Razorbacks by 56-22. in the paint. The Gamecocks didn't take a 20-point lead until 3:27 left in the third quarter, which normally wouldn't be worth noting, but South Carolina was favored by 27 points before tipoff. Such is the standard set when coming off three straight Final Four Appearances and nine straight Sweet 16s.
The Razorbacks finish the SEC regular season slate 3 p.m. Sunday against Ole Miss. The game be broadcast on SEC Network and fuboTV.
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