FAYETTEVILLE — Alecia Cooley was a force inside, Kieryn Swenson hit from the outside, and All-SEC senior forward Jessica Jackson did what she always does as Arkansas beat Louisiana-Monroe 92-46 Sunday at Walton Arena.
Cooley, Swenson and Jackson each had 13 points to lead five players with 10 or more points for the Razorbacks (2-0).
"I really liked our energy defensively," Arkansas Coach Jimmy Dykes said. "I liked how active everybody was on the floor and we continue to shoot the ball pretty well. ... And anytime you hold someone to 22 percent shooting, you have to be pleased with a lot of the things we're doing defensively."
Cooley, 6-3, established herself early against Monroe's 6-3 Stephanie Ratliff, who scored 22 points in her team's season-opening victory over Centenary.
But Cooley took control from the start, taking a lob pass from Jailyn Mason and converting a three-point play to give the Razorbacks an 8-4 lead.
Cooley had six points by the end of the first quarter, helping Arkansas build a 22-10 lead.
"She did a good job of sealing today," Dykes said. "Cooley is one of the better percentage shooters that we have. I just wish she wouldn't miss as many two-footers."
Jackson scored the first five points of the second quarter, including a three-pointer that opened up a 27-10 lead. Jackson, who finished 3 of 5 on three-pointers, and Cooley combined for 17 first-half points as the lead grew to 42-20 at halftime. Cooley was 7 of 12 from the free-throw line.
"Cooley and a number of kids kept attacking the rim," Warhawks Coach Jeff Dow said. "The one thing they did consistently in both halves is draw fouls. ... That's something we're always trying to emphasize defensively to be in position to not foul, but some of that was their size."
Swenson, a sophomore, came off the bench to score 11 of her career-high 13 points as Arkansas outscored Monroe 15-6 at the outset of the second half to put the game out of reach for the Warhawks (1-1).
Swenson, a 6-1 sophomore from Wichita, Kan., made two three-pointers during the third-quarter surge, but Dykes said he was the most impressed by Swenson's 15-footer that pushed the lead to 57-28 with 5:38 remaining in the third quarter.
"(Swenson) actually put it on the ground and made a jumper for the first time in her life," Dykes said.
Arkansas shot 49.2 percent from the field compared to 22.1 percent for Louisiana-Monroe. The Razorbacks outrebounded the Warhawks 47-43 and forced 17 turnovers while committing eight.
Ratliff finished with six. Alexis Collins led the team with 10 points while Logan Oestriech, from Bismarck High near Arkadelphia, scored four points and grabbed seven rebounds off the bench.