FAYETTEVILLE -- Senior Melissa Wolff walked off the Walton Arena court a winner Sunday afternoon and not just because the Arkansas women's basketball team defeated Mississippi in its regular-season finale.
Wolff stamped her name in the UA women's basketball lore as one of five Arkansas women to surpass 700 points and 700 rebounds in a career with a basket early in the second quarter.
At a glance
Melissa Wolff
School Arkansas
Position Forward
Height 6-0
Notable Became the fifth player in school history to top 700 points and 700 rebounds in her career… scored a basket early int the second quarter on Sunday to top 700 points. … was first player in modern history to post 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game this season against New Orleans on Dec. 30. … Led her Cabot High School team to a state title as a senior.
SEC Women’s Tournament
at Jacksonville, Fla.
Today
Game 1 No. 12 Alabama vs. No. 13 LSU, 10 a.m.
Game 2 No. 11 Vanderbilt vs. No. 14 Ole Miss, noon
Thursday
Game 3 No. 9 Auburn vs. No. 8 Missouri, 11 a.m.
Game 4 Winner Game 1 vs. No. 5 Kentucky, 1 p.m.
Game 5 No. 10 Arkansas vs. No. 7 Tennessee, 5 p.m.
Game 6 Winner Game 2 vs. No. 6 Georgia, 7 p.m.
Friday
Game 7 Winner Game 3 vs. No. 1 South Carolina, 11 a.m.
Game 8 Winner Game 4 vs. No. 4 Florida, 1 p.m.
Game 9 Winner Game 5 vs. No. 2 Texas A&M, 5 p.m.
Game 10 Winner Game 6 vs. No. 3 Mississippi State, 7 p.m.
Saturday
Game 11 Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 4 p.m.
Game 12 Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 6 p.m.
Sunday
Game 13 Tournament final, 1:30 p.m.
Earlier in the season, Wolff became the first Razorbacks player to grab 20 rebounds in a game since 1988. She also scored 20 points in that Dec. 30 game against New Orleans, giving her career highs in points and rebounds.
Sunday, Arkansas' lone senior was able to leave the game early to the cheers of the crowd as the Razorbacks rallied to win 60-49.
Wolff said she had no doubt Arkansas would end the regular season with a victory despite its slow start against Ole Miss.
"There was never a moment where that I thought 'Oh, yikes, this might not end as well as I'd hoped.' "
A game-high 13 rebounds was Wolff's most impressive statistic in the Mississippi game, but Arkansas Coach Jimmy Dykes said that's only a part of how she contributes to the team.
"She's been a blessing to me as a head coach," Dykes said of Wolff, a 6-0 forward from Cabot. "Her fight and her toughness, who she is as a person has impacted this campus. It's impacted our team. It's impacted me. ... She's a phenomenal person, phenomenal young lady and a dad-gum good basketball player."
Arkansas (12-17) opens play in the SEC Women's Tournament against No. 7 seed Tennessee at 5 p.m. Thursday in Jacksonville, Fla. The Razorbacks split two meetings with the Lady Volunteers this season.
Dykes said Wolff caught his eye just watching film when he took the job before her junior year.
"I remember when I got the job and starting watching film and saw this girl coming off the bench and thought this is the kinda girl I like," Dykes said. "The kind of kid that comes in and plays hard and dives on the floor and understands how to win ballgames."
Dykes said Wolff's role as senior leader was made more difficult with eight new players this season, including five freshmen.
"She's had that burden on her this season with eight brand-new players on the floor," Dykes said. "She's probably the only senior in the country that inherited that mixture this year. It's been a real challenge for her. But she's been the perfect description for what we want a student-athlete to look like on this campus."
Wolff said getting to know eight new players has not been easy.
"It's a tough role because opposed to building relationships with one or two new players, it's building relationships with eight and trying to learn what their strengths and weaknesses are," Wolff said. "I think that's been the biggest challenge."
But building those relationships is one of the things she will remember the most.
"The friendships and relationships I've created along the way whether that be from the older players and learning from them or the younger players trying to pour into them," Wolff said.
Sports on 03/02/2016