On Tuesday, UALR postponed a Jan. 4 nonconference game against South Dakota State. UALR and South Dakota State will now play a one-season, home-and-home series in the 2011-2012 season.
UALR says the move was made because the Trojan women's game at Denver was shifted from Saturday, Jan. 1 to Sunday, Jan. 2. Although that change was made before the start of the season, UALR didn't postpone until now. Probably not coincidentally, the Sugar Bowl is being played that night, featuring Ohio State and UA-Fayetteville.
Here's the official statement from Director of Athletics Chris Peterson.
“When our game against Denver was rescheduled, we immediately had concerns for the welfare of our student-athletes. We were concerned about their ability to get back to Little Rock in case of delays or inclement weather, and properly prepare for this game. We have been working with South Dakota State to move this game for some time now, and we certainly appreciate their cooperation in this matter.”It should also be noted that UALR saw this game as an RPI boost for its nonconference schedule. With the on-again, off-again appearances of senior Chastity Reed in the lineup, UALR has slipped to 3-5 and now appears to need another 20-plus game winning streak if it hopes for a NCAA Women's Tournament at-large berth.
UALR struggled to find nonconference opponents to play this season and ended up with a 28-game schedule. That schedule is now 27 games.
