FAYETTEVILLE -- Super Bowl Sunday has turned into another workday for Mike Neighbors and his No. 16 Razorbacks.
Instead of a scheduled open date, the Arkansas women's basketball team will take on No. 7 Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, today in a game that was moved up a week by the Southeastern Conference. The game will tip at 2 p.m. in Reed Arena.
The change in the Razorbacks' schedule comes after Tennessee had its game against Texas A&M slated for today postponed due to COVID-19 protocols within the Lady Vols' program.
The Razorbacks (14-6, 4-5 SEC) are coming off their first league road victory of the season at Missouri on Thursday and riding a three-game winning streak.
Neighbors acknowledged his team probably could use the downtime.
"That's part of our mantra this year ... be bendable, be flexible, stay in alignment," said Neighbors, who was first contacted Tuesday morning about the switch. "We've been that team that will do whatever's best for everybody involved. And if that's what's best for everybody, we'll go do it.
"Not ideal, we could have really used the rest before the stretch run. But we'll get it later on down the line."
Preparation for Texas A&M will be easier, Neighbors said, because this is their second meeting this season. The Aggies (17-1, 8-1) have won five in a row and edged the Razorbacks 74-73 four weeks ago on Jordan Nixon's runner with less than a second left in Walton Arena.
The Razorbacks were buoyed by the play of graduate transfer Destiny Slocum while snapping a four-game SEC road losing streak in Columbia.
The 5-7 guard registered a double-double with 22 points and 10 assists, and she drained her sixth 3-pointer in the final minute as the Razorbacks held on after seeing an 18-point second-half lead evaporate. She also committed just one turnover in 39 minutes.
Arkansas showed poise after Missouri took a 76-75 lead -- its first since 2-0 -- with 2:22 left in the game. The Razorbacks regained the lead 10 seconds later on two free throws by Chelsea Dungee and didn't look back.
Missouri enjoyed a 40-24 rebounding advantage, but Arkansas hit 14 3-pointers.
Neighbors said the road win was significant with the team drawing some criticism for traveling the day of the game.
"The importance of that win at Missouri was big though," he said. "Our kids read message boards and they listen to people trying to drag'em down telling them we ought to be traveling the day before. We kinda used that ... using it as a little bit of motivation that we weren't tough enough to get on a plane and fly up there and find a way to win."
Arkansas will look to stop another skid today in College Station. Arkansas has lost the last five they have played there and hasn't won since Feb. 24, 1991.
The Razorbacks' struggles on the road are more tied to the fact they played at South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and Georgia -- all teams currently ranked in the top 25 -- Neighbors said.
The league schedule eases some over the final couple of weeks. Arkansas doesn't face another league opponent currently ranked nationally after No. 24 Mississippi State on Thursday. The Razorbacks finish by sandwiching road games at LSU (Feb. 21) and Auburn (Feb. 25) between home games against Ole Miss (Feb. 18) and Alabama (Feb. 28).
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Arkansas (14-6, 4-5 SEC)
NameYearPPGRPG
G Destiny Slocumsenior15.03.6
G Chelsea Dungeesenior22.44.1
G Amber Ramirezsenior12.82.7
G Makayla Danielssophomore12.32.8
F Taylah Thomassenior4.66.7
Coach Mike Neighbors (73-47 in fourth season at Arkansas)
Texas A&M (17-1, 8-1 SEC)
NameYearPPGRPG
G Jordan Nixonsophomore8.61.6
G Kayla Wellssenior10.61.9
F Aaliyah Wilsonsenior13.15.4
F N'dea Jonessenior13.110.7
C Cierra Johnsonsenior11.27.8
Coach Gary Blair (422-168 in his 18th season at Texas A&M)
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