SEC WOMEN
VANDERBILT 78, ARKANSAS 73
The Arkansas women's basketball team closed the regular season with a loss Sunday, but the Razorbacks won't have to wait long to try to even the score.
The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville coughed up a four-point halftime lead to lose to Vanderbilt 78-73 at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tenn. The loss drops the Razorbacks (12-17, 3-13 SEC) to the No. 13 seed in this week's SEC Tournament in Nashville, where they'll face the No. 12 seed Commodores (7-23, 3-13) again Wednesday.
Jailyn Mason made a jumper with two seconds left in the first quarter as the Razorbacks grabbed a 20-19 lead. Arkansas rode that momentum to build a six-point lead three different times in the second quarter, the last on Raven Northcross-Baker's three-pointer with 47 seconds remaining for a 36-30 lead. Vanderbilt's Cierra Walker made a shot at the buzzer to cut her team's deficit to four.
The Commodores took a 49-48 lead heading into the fourth quarter, but the Razorbacks took their last lead at 53-52 on a layup by Malica Monk with 8:18 to play. Vanderbilt responded with the next two baskets, but Devin Cosper's three-pointer tied the game at 56-56.
Vanderbilt built a five-point lead, but Monk's layup with 2:14 left tied it at 64-64. Kayla Overbeck's three-point play on the ensuing possession broke the tie, and Arkansas never was that close again.
Monk scored 17 points with 8 assists and 4 rebounds to lead the Razorbacks. Mason chipped in 14 points and Cosper added 13. Overbeck led all scorers with 24 points.
Arkansas made 29 of 71 shots (40.8 percent) and 9 of 36 three-pointers (25 percent). Vanderbilt hit 28 of 65 shots (43.1 percent) and 7 of 24 three-pointers (25 percent). The Commodores won the rebound battle 50-30.
In other SEC women's games Sunday, Teaira McCowan had 20 points and 20 rebounds to match a career high, Victoria Vivians added 18 points and No. 2 Mississippi State (30-0, 16-0) routed Kentucky (14-16, 6-10) 85-63 and became the first SEC team to finish the regular season unbeaten in 20 years. ... Rennia Davis had 18 points, 10 rebounds and four assists and No. 15 Tennessee (23-6, 11-5) rallied for a 65-46 victory over No. 7 South Carolina (23-6, 12-4) -- playing without star center A'ja Wilson who didn't travel to Knoxville because of vertigo. ... Anriel Howard turned in her sixth consecutive double-double and became Texas A&M's career and single-season rebounding record-holder as the No. 17 Aggies (22-8, 11-5) beat No. 11 Missouri (23-6, 11-5) 82-63. ... Senior Mackenzie Engram and freshman Gabby Connally each scored 12 points and No. 19 Georgia (24-5, 12-4) beat Florida (11-18, 3-13) 63-43. ... Ayana Mitchell scored a career-high 27 points on 11-of-13 shooting with 12 rebounds and a game-saving blocked shot with a second left and No. 24 LSU (19-8, 11-5) defeated Alabama 79-78 (17-12, 7-9) in overtime in the regular-season finale. ... Daisa Alexander lead all scorers with 21 points, Unique Thompson added 15 and Auburn (14-14, 5-11) managed to slip by Mississippi (11-18, 1-15) 60-55 on Senior Day and clinch the No. 10 seed in the SEC Tournament.
Sports on 02/26/2018