Neighbors: No. 21 Razorbacks underdogs vs. UALR

Arkansas’ Makayla Daniels fights for possession of the ball with Tulsa’s Kendrian Elliott in a Dec. 11 game at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. - Photo by J.T. Wampler of the NWA Democrat-Gazette
Arkansas’ Makayla Daniels fights for possession of the ball with Tulsa’s Kendrian Elliott in a Dec. 11 game at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. - Photo by J.T. Wampler of the NWA Democrat-Gazette

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock enters today's 1 p.m. game against the University of Arkansas at Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock with a 2-7 record.

However, coach Mike Neighbors, whose Razorbacks (10-1) are ranked 21st in this week's Associated Press women's Top 25 poll, called his team an underdog, considering UALR's postseason resume under coach Joe Foley, who has led the Trojans to six NCAA Tournaments and five WNIT tournaments in his career.

"They always turn it around," Neighbors said. "I remember when they were 2-8 one year and beat Oklahoma. So we're not falling for the ol' banana in the tailpipe.

"We know how this story ends with them."

Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek announced Aug. 30, 2018, that the UA had scheduled UALR and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff in baseball.

It was a couple of days after Yurachek's announcement that Neighbors and Foley were golfing in Little Rock and discussed the Razorbacks and Trojans playing each other. Neighbors confirmed to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in May that Arkansas would play UALR during the 2019-20 season.

Today is the second women's basketball game between the two programs. Arkansas beat UALR 74-54 on Dec. 9, 1977, in Little Rock in the teams' only previous meeting.

"It's a game that had to happen for our sport," Neighbors said.

Foley agreed with Neighbors.

"I think it's great for the state," Foley said. "There's a lot of interest created with it."

Another factor for the Razorbacks playing the Trojans is scheduling.

The Trojans have already faced a ranked team in Texas A&M, and also played LSU. They'll travel to No. 15 Mississippi State on Dec. 29.

Playing a team like the Trojans will help the Razorbacks come tournament time, Neighbors believes.

"It's a quality opponent before playing in the SEC," said Neighbors, whose team hosts Tennessee-Martin on Dec. 29 and opens Southeastern Conference play Jan. 2 against Texas A&M at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville.

Neighbors first got to know of Foley as a high school student.

When he was at Greenwood High School, Neighbors attended a boys basketball camp at Arkansas Tech University in 1984, where Foley was one of the coaches.

In the late 1990s as a high school coach at Bentonville, Neighbors brought his team to Arkansas Tech, when Foley was the school's women's basketball coach.

It was at those Golden Suns camps in Russellville where the two coaches started to hit it off as coaches and then as friends.

"We go back to when I was coaching at Arkansas Tech and he was coaching in high school," Foley said. "I got to know him there. We've been associates for a long period of time."

For more than three decades, Foley has had Neighbors' respect, both as a player and as a coach.

"He's had very good teams," Neighbors said. "The terminology that he uses, that's how I try to coach defense.

"He's always had a good team plan. He's very animated about sharing the basketball. He's very intense with his words and teaching style."

UALR has three Arkansas natives on its roster -- senior guard Kyra Collier (North Little Rock), junior guard Tori Lasker (Mayflower) and redshirt sophomore forward Krystan Vornes (Osceola). Foley said for those three players, it's an important game for them since they're facing the Razorbacks.

"Everybody knows Arkansas," Foley said. "We know this is the best year they've had in years. It's a big challenge. But it's something our kids will look forward to."

Neighbors said he has received 25-30 ticket requests for the game against the Trojans. He expects a great atmosphere today in Simmons Bank Arena, where the Razorbacks haven't played since the 2015 SEC Women's Tournament.

"It's going to be a tournament feel for us," Neighbors said.

Sports on 12/21/2019

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