WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Arkansas women's basketball team (11-3) closed out play before break by going 2-0 at the West Palm Beach Classic, as the Hogs defeated UIC, 66-58. Arkansas led for over 35 minutes and used an 11-0 run in the first quarter going into the second, as well as a 7-0 run in the fourth to sail to victory. Taliah Scott led the Hogs with 26 points and Saylor Poffenbarger came up with big plays, as she finished with a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

UIC got a quick score off a jumper to start out with the early lead. Arkansas missed its first two 3-point attempts, but Scott made the Hogs' third. The Flames responded with back-to-back baskets, including one on a second-chance opportunity. Poffenbarger then made a jumper and Samara Spencer followed with a 3-pointer, as Arkansas retook the lead, 8-6, with 5:36 left in the quarter. The Flames tied the game back up on a layup, but Scott answered with a pullup jumper. UIC had another answer with a layup, and at the media timeout taken at the 3:35 mark, the score was tied 10-10. Out of the break, Arkansas went on an 8-2 run to close out the quarter, highlighted by a Jenna Lawrence 3-pointer off the bench. After one quarter, the Hogs led 18-12.

Arkansas kept the run rolling, extending it to a 14-2 one with back-to-back Scott triples. UIC took a timeout, as Arkansas led 24-12 with 8:24 left in the quarter. UIC got out of its scoring drought with a layup, but Scott responded with her fourth triple of the game. UIC converted on a 3-point play, and the Hogs responded as Maryam Dauda found a cutting Poffenbarger who made a layup. UIC went on an 8-1 run, to cut Arkansas' lead to five with less than two minutes left in the half, as Arkansas struggled to find another shot from the field for the remaining 5:11 of the half. Arkansas took a 32-27 edge into the locker room.

UIC kept continuing on its run, coming up with a tough layup, but Scott responded with her fifth 3-pointer of the game. Scott then found Dauda under the basket for a layup, but UIC responded with another tough jumper. At the media timeout taken at the 4:59 mark, Arkansas had the 37-31 advantage. Spencer then knocked down a 3-pointer and Daniels followed with a coast-to-coast layup. UIC made back-to-back layups, but Spencer responded with two free throws. Poffenbarger drained a 3-pointer to elevate the Hogs ahead by 10. Going into the fourth, Arkansas held a 47-37 advantage.

Poffenbarger drained her second triple at the start of the fourth quarter to go ahead by 13. UIC went on a 6-0 run to cut the lead to seven, but Poffenbarger made a layup and got fouled in the process to convert the 3-point play and put the Hogs' lead back to 10. That and-1 started a 7-0 run for the Hogs, which was capped off by a Carly Keats jumper, and the Hogs led by 14, its largest lead of the game. UIC responded with a layup, and at the media timeout taken at the 4:10 mark, Arkansas led 57-45. After UIC made two free throws after the timeout, Spencer answered with a layup, but UIC had another response with a layup. UIC then knocked down a triple to cut the lead to seven, but Scott responded with a quick 3-pointer, as the Hogs were ahead by 10, 62-52, with two minutes left in the game. Scott pulled the Hogs ahead by 10 with 27 seconds left, as she knocked down two free throws after an intentional foul committed by the Flames. The Hogs were able to close out with a win, 66-58.

HOG HIGHLIGHTS

• Scott led the game with 26 points, as she knocked down a career-high six 3-pointers. She matched a career-high six rebounds and added two assists while playing all 40 minutes with a +8 +/-
• Poffenbarger logged her fifth double-double of the season, finishing with 17 points and 11 rebounds. She matched a career-high five steals and added one block
• Spencer registered 13 points and went 5-of-6 from the free throw line. She had two assists as well
• Jenna Lawrence had three points and one block, while Carly Keats delivered two points, two rebounds and two blocks off the bench
• Makayla Daniels made a lot of plays not seen on the box score, finishing with +7
• The Hogs logged 11 3-pointers, the team's seventh 10+ 3-pointer game

UP NEXT
Arkansas will take a week off for holiday break and will be back to Fayetteville to prep for its final non-conference game vs. Incarnate Word on Sunday, Dec. 31 at 1 p.m. The game from Bud Walton Arena will be broadcast on SECN+.