FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Arkansas women’s basketball team (6-1) dropped its first game of the season, as Marquette (6-0) defeated the Hogs, 74-58, in wire-to-wire fashion in the Elevance Health Fort Myers Tip-off Shell Division Championship game. Arkansas got off to an incredibly slow start, shooting 1-of-13 to begin the game, while not being able to get into a rhythm offensively to match Marquette’s shot over 50 percent from the field through the first half and outrebounded the Hogs 41-32 in the game. Taliah Scott led the Hogs with 21 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter. Makayla Daniels earned a spot on the Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-off All-Tournament Team, while breaking the school record for career starts with her 129th nod on Saturday.
Marquette scored the first six points of the game off jumpers, while Arkansas started 0-for-3 from the field. Mike Neighbors called a timeout just 1:49 into the game to regroup, as the Hogs trailed 6-0 early. Arkansas continued to search for its first basket, but could not get one, as the Hogs would then trail, 10-0. Samara Spencer then hit a triple on the Hogs’ seventh shot attempt with 5:58 left in the first quarter. After that triple, the Hogs fell in another scoring drought, this time three minutes, which had Arkansas down, 17-3. Carly Keats nailed a triple, but the Golden Eagles answered with a jumper. Daniels knocked down a triple at the buzzer, behind 23-11 after one quarter.
Scott helped the Hogs make its third straight field goal to open the second quarter with a layup, but Marquette answered with a 6-0 run, as the Hogs were down by 16 with 7:17 left in the first half. Saylor Poffenbarger showed her offensive and defensive ability, coming up with a monster block, and then knocking down a 3-pointer, which was a part of a 5-0 run for the Hogs. The Golden Eagles then had a 4-0 run of their own, but Poffenbarger responded with her second triple of the game. The Hogs trailed 33-21 with 4:25 left in the quarter. Spencer had a tough take to the basket for layup, drawing the foul in the process. The Hogs cut the deficit to 11 once again with that and-1, but Marquette went on a 9-0 run, as Arkansas trailed by 20, 44-24, with less than a minute in the half. Keats drilled her second 3-pointer of the game, eighth for the Hogs. After a Marquette basket, the Hogs had a 19-point deficit at the half, behind 46-27 going into the locker room.