Copyright Arkansas Online
FAYETTEVILLE -- Through two games, the University of Arkansas women's basketball team has played with the identity of its head coach. Kelsi Musick touted an exciting, up-tempo brand of basketball that she would bring to the Razorbacks when she was hired in March. Her team averaged 97 points in a pair of wins over Louisiana Tech and Arkansas-Pine Bluff to open the season, delivering her promise to fans. "Hopefully that they can see that we put some action behind that word," Musick said after a 101-49 victory over UAPB. "We said we were going to play fast. I told everyone we were going to play with energy and passion, and think that we're really producing that." Arkansas (2-0) hopes to see the trend of high scoring continue Monday when it hosts a Central Arkansas team that has already given an SEC team a scare this season. Tipoff at Walton Arena is scheduled for 8 p.m. on SEC Network. UCA (1-1) opened the season with a close game against Missouri. The Sugar Bears tied the game 71-71 with 1:23 remaining before the Tigers closed the game on a 7-0 run to win 78-71. The matchup featured 14 lead changes and nine ties. Now in their third season under Coach Tony Kemper, the Sugar Bears appear ready to contend for the Atlantic Sun Conference crown. The Razorbacks will try to avoid an upset against an in-state foe for the second straight game. Arkansas passed the first test with flying colors by downing the Golden Lions by 52. But even in the victory, Musick found something to critique. She was displeased with the first quarter, in which Arkansas outscored UAPB 24-13. In the opener against Louisiana Tech, the Razorbacks fell behind 17-2 early. "I thought we came out a little sluggish and slow," Musick said on the Razorback Sports Network postgame show, "like we kind of talked about (avoiding) in pregame. ... In order to really start coming together and doing the things we need to, we've got to start playing four whole quarters." There are several benchmarks Musick looks for her team to hit every game: 12 or fewer turnovers, hitting 8 to 10 three-pointers, 80% free-throw shooting and a 1-to-1 ratio in turnovers forced and points off turnovers ratio, to name a few. Against the Golden Lions, her team hit each of those marks. For a new-look team of five returners, five transfers and three freshmen to hit those goals this early in the season had Musick pleased with the cohesion. "We had a tough preseason," Musick said. "They would vouch for that. I push them really hard in practice. Our practices aren't short, they're long. But in order to set the tone, to set the culture and to create the standard in which we want to execute and we want this team to live and die by, then it has to happen. And it has to happen right now." The confident shooting of junior forward Jenna Lawrence, who scored a career-high 26 points against UAPB, was an encouraging sign for Arkansas. She made all five of her three-point attempts and did not hesitate to shoot when open. Lawrence said her confidence has been restored under Musick's guidance, seemingly another promise that the coach is on her way toward delivering. When she was hired, Musick said her players would have a fearless mindset. "I want all my players to be confident," Musick said. "My pillars (are) faith, family and fearless, and that fearless comes with confidence. ... There was a handful of (returners) that they had lost their confidence, and we're still working every day. It doesn't happen overnight, and one game is not going to fix every problem. "I want (Lawrence) to shoot that shot. I told them when I got here, I've never benched a kid for shooting it. But I have benched a kid for not taking the shot." Lawrence's progression is one of many positive signs for the Razorbacks in their first two games of the Musick regime. Others include averaging 16.5 offensive rebounds per game, assisting 57.5% of field goal makes and tallying 11.5 steals per game. "We still have a lot to work on," Musick said. "But we've come a long ways in a short amount of time, and we're not going to stop."
