Box Score FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Northwestern State women's basketball team had one if its best defensive efforts disrupting one the of the nation's most efficient teams Friday night, but the Lady Demons could not take advantage in a hard-fought 80-41 loss in the Bud Walton Arena.

Arkansas (11-1) ranked eighth nationally averaging 12.8 turnovers a game. NSU (4-5) forced the Razorbacks into 22 miscues, but scored only three points off of those turnovers as Arkansas' defense held tough.

It was the second-highest turnover count since Ole Miss gave it up 25 times to the Lady Demons.

“Overall I'm pleased with the effort,” said co-head coach Brooke Stoehr. “I thought we got a little sloppy with the ball at times, but other than that you never know how your team will respond after a 17-day layoff. I felt like our kids came out and competed and I was proud of that.
 
“I felt like they came out and competed,” she said. “I know the score is not reflective of that, but I felt like we executed pretty well. I know we had some lazy turnovers with the ball at times, but I really felt like we got the good shots we wanted we just could make the shots.”

Northwestern State turned the ball over 23 times which led to 30 Razorback points giving the Hogs their eighth win in a row.

Jhasmin Bowen scored a game-high 17 points followed by Dominique Robinson with 15 and Sarah Watkins with 14. Dominique Wilson also finished in double-digits with 12 points.

Keira Peak was the leading scorer coming in to the game for the Hogs, but only scored six points in the game.

“I think we really tried to limit their takes to the basket, and Peak does a great job on being on the receiving end of some of their penetration and being able to turn a corner and get to the paint herself,” said Stoehr. “I felt like they had an advantage in size tonight and our lack of depth, and I'm very pleased with how our guards defended on the perimeter.”
 
For NSU, Keisha Lee led the team in points with 12 points followed by Janelle Perez with eight.

Overall the Lady Demons shot at a 31 percent clip while UA shot just under 50 percent from the field.

The Hogs outrebounded NSU 45-21 including 17 offensive boards that led to 19 second chance points.
 
“It's something we can build on going into conference play,” said Stoehr. “This is an NCAA tournament team with a heck of a post player in Sarah Watkins that is a tough match-up for teams in the SEC. I was proud of our effort and energy and I won't look at the score an think otherwise.”

NSU will return to action Dec. 28 when they travel to Mississippi State before returning home to open conference against McNeese State Jan. 3.