New rivalry? Arkansas still hesitant to embrace Arkansas State

LITTLE ROCK (AP) Arkansas State says that it should play Arkansas again after a record crowd turned out to see the Lady Indians dispatch the Lady Razorbacks 98-84 Monday night in the second round of the WNIT in Jonesboro.<br> <br> Attendance for the game at ASU&#39;s Convocation Center totaled 10,892.<br> <br> ``There&#39;s very few women&#39;s basketball programs where they can have more than 10,000 fans,&#39;&#39; Arkansas state women&#39;s basketball coach Brian Boyer said. ``When you draw that much, it can only be good.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> But Lady Razorbacks spokesman Bill Smith is less enthusiastic about the possibility of future meetings between the two teams during the regular season in any major sport.<br> <br> ``Right now, in the heat of things, it&#39;s not best to discuss those future plans,&#39;&#39; he said.<br> <br> It has long been Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles&#39; practice to avoid scheduling regular-season games with in-state schools for the men&#39;s program, and the women&#39;s teams have followed suit. Before Monday&#39;s game, the last time teams from Arkansas and Arkansas State competed against each other in a major sport was in a men&#39;s NIT game in 1987, at Fayetteville.<br> <br> Susie Gardner, Lady Razorback coach, is also skeptical about future matchups.<br> <br> ``Somebody tell me the benefit for Arkansas,&#39;&#39; she said. ``What would be the benefit for Arkansas playing Arkansas State?&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Boyer said it&#39;s not what the rivalry could do for Arkansas, but rather women&#39;s basketball in general.<br> <br> ``It&#39;s easy for me to say this because I&#39;m not in their shoes, but as a women&#39;s basketball coach I accept a responsibility to promote women&#39;s basketball, and anything I can do to do that I think you have to do,&#39;&#39; he said. ``You saw how many little girls were in the stands looking up to the Lady Indians and the Lady &#39;Backs alike.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Smith agrees with that conclusion.<br> <br> ``It&#39;s one game. It wasn&#39;t like it was the championship game,&#39;&#39; he said. ``It was very significant in that we haven&#39;t played so long. What was great (is that the) Convocation Center&#39;s record crowd is now a women&#39;s basketball game. That speaks to the improved status of women&#39;s basketball.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Smith said the dynamics in Arkansas are different from other places with in-state rivalries.<br> <br> But Dean Lee, the Arkansas State athletic director, said it only makes sense to have the two schools compete against each other.<br> <br> ``We think it is a natural rivalry that our fans want and players want on both sides,&#39;&#39; he said.<br> <br> Boyer said, at the very least, the Lady Razorbacks should want to meet up with the Lady Indians, if only to satisfy a simple desire revenge.<br> <br> ``Again, it&#39;s easy for me to say from my end,&#39;&#39; he said. ``But if I were in their shoes I would say I&#39;m a competitor and I&#39;d want to try to turn the tables and have another shot.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> (Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)