Lady’Backs brace for high-scoring Vandy

BY JOE WEST Northwest Arkansas Times

Posted on Thursday, February 21, 2008

URL: http://www.wholehogsports.com/nwat/62448/

The Arkansas Lady Razorbacks are tired of having their hearts broken. Now they’re ready to break some hearts of their own.

Arkansas’ latest angst came last Sunday in a 75-73 loss at Florida. The defeat was especially disheartening considering the Lady’Backs shot 56 percent from the floor and held an 8-point second-half lead.

“ We know we had some chances at Florida, and we played about as good a game as we have played all season, ” Arkansas head coach Tom Collen said. “ We are a different team from the one that started the year, and we said that when we lost Lauren [Ervin ] that we would be different. This new team played so hard the last two games, but I know they need to see some success from that hard work. ”

Against Florida, senior point guard Brittney Vaughn again came up big for the Lady’Backs offensively, scoring 18, but her game-high 8 turnovers sullied an otherwise strong effort.

Vaughn’s biggest turnover came at the end of the game, allowing Florida to break a 73-73 deadlock that Vaughn had set herself with a 3-pointer just moments earlier. The senior turned the ball over after stumbling trying to avoid a collision.

Junior guard Ayana Brereton continues to be a reliable point producer. The Lady’Backs’ top scorer (11. 8 ppg ) also poured in 18 in the heartbreaker at Florida.

Arkansas (17-8 ) will likely need another strong effort from its guards as the Lady’Backs host the hotshooting Vanderbilt Commodores tonight at 7 p. m. at Walton Arena.

Vanderbilt (19-7 ) sits a solid second in the SEC standings, behind Tennessee. The Commodores are the second-best scoring team in the SEC (72. 9 ppg ), and lead the league in both field goal percentage (47. 2 percent ) and 3-point percentage (38. 8 percent ).

“ Vanderbilt is a team that has frustrated a lot of teams in the SEC, and I’m sure they will be frustrating to us, ” Collen said. “ The key is that we need to keep doing the things that have been successful for us this year and work through those times they are frustrating us with their defense. ”

Junior forward Christina Wirth, Vandy’s top scorer (13. 4 ppg ), will have Arkansas’ total attention, especially on the perimeter.

“ Wirth is a four player that can really stretch the defense with her ability to shoot the 3-pointer, ” Collen said. “ Vandy has always had good 3-point shooters, but when you can take a post player and bring her outside, that adds another aspect to the game. I think right now she’s probably the best 3-point shooter in the league. ”

One of the Commodores’ strongest scorers comes off the bench. Six-foot-four center Liz Sherwood is averaging 11. 3 points per game (second-best on team ) with a team-best. 631 shooting percentage.

In Vanderbilt’s 61-34 rout of Arkansas last season, Sherwood came off the bench to score 8 points and grab 6 rebounds in just 10 minutes of court time.