Missed opportunities doom Arkansas women in loss to SMU

After a disheartening loss to Harvard inside Bud Walton Arena on Nov. 30, Kelsi Musick and the Arkansas Razorbacks had an opportunity to get back on track and earn a win over a Power Four opponent in SMU on Thursday. 

What ensued was a game full of missed opportunities for the Razorbacks, who fell to 7-3 on the season with a 78-63 loss to the Mustangs in Dallas. 

The highlight of those missed opportunities was an Arkansas possession with just over four minutes left in the game. Trailing 69-58, the Hogs were still very much in contention. But a series of four consecutive missed shots on a single possession, including three put-back attempts from Bonnie Deas, seemed to be a sign that a win just wasn't meant to be for the Razorbacks. 

Bonnie Deas' lack of production dooms Arkansas

Perhaps the best indicator of how Arkansas is going to fare on any given evening is the play of Deas. The freshman from Melbourne, Australia, is nearly averaging a double-double, but Thursday was arguably her worst performance of the season. 

Deas scored only six points on 2-16 shooting from the field, and while she grabbed 14 rebounds, her lack of contribution on the scoreboard significantly hurt the Hogs. 

Getting Deas back on track will be paramount for Musick as Arkansas returns to Fayetteville to take on Jackson State on Dec. 7.