The top-ranked defense in Division I awaits the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff women’s basketball team on Tuesday.
UAPB will face its biggest challenge this season when the Lady Lions face TCU at 6:30 p.m. at Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, on ESPN-Plus.
No. 9 TCU (11-0) will be the highest-ranked team UAPB has faced since playing then-No. 8 Oregon State on Nov. 14, 2018. It will be the Lady Lions’ first game in nearly two weeks, having not played since beating Arkansas Baptist 85-51 on Dec. 4.
The Horned Frogs have the No. 1-ranked scoring defense in the country. They have held their opponents to 48.5 points per game on 28.7% shooting, which is also a national best. TCU ranks fifth in 3-point defense and seventh in blocks. The Frogs collect 31.9 defensive rebounds per game, which ranks fourth.
That defense will present a major challenge for UAPB (3-5). The Lady Lions’ 54.6 points per game ranks 335th in Division I out of 359 teams. UAPB shoots 35.2% from the field, which ranks 334th.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
TCU can score, too. The Horned Frogs rank 14th in scoring offense at 86.5 points per game. Graduate forward Marta Suarez leads the team with 18.5 points per game. Graduate guard Maddie Scherr has the nation’s fourth-best assist-to-turnover ratio (4.40), while graduate guard Olivia Miles ranks sixth nationally in assists (7.6 per game).
The Horned Frogs own a 69-59 win against then-No. 10 NC State this season and have dominated all other foes. TCU is outscoring its opponents by 38 points per game and is coming off an 89-49 win against Jacksonville on Sunday.
The Horned Frogs have played two Historically Black Colleges and Universities prior to UAPB this season, beating North Carolina A&T 82-43 and Tennessee State 122-39.
UAPB has played one other Power Four opponent this season, losing 101-49 at Arkansas. This will be the final Power Four team the Lady Lions play this regular season.