A late rally by the University of Arkansas women’s basketball team couldn’t wipe away a slow start at Ole Miss and ended in a 70-62 loss on Tuesday evening.
The Razorbacks (16-11, 6-8 SEC), who trailed by as many as 14 in the second half, used a 10-2 fourth-quarter spurt to get within 62-59 and had a chance to tie. But Makayla Daniels’ three-point attempt from the corner was off the mark with 2:49 left.
Lashonda Monk then responded with six straight points, including four free throws, to help Ole Miss (21-6, 9-5) regain momentum.
Arkansas went scoreless for more than two-and-a-half minutes after Samara Spencer’s layup got the Razorbacks within 62-59 with 3:19 left. Arkansas could get no closer and suffered its third straight loss.
Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors said being in a stretch of five games in 10 days has made preparation difficult and contributed to slow starts in this three-game skid.
“I think we can do our best to guess at what the other team is going do, but I’ve been wrong,” Neighbors said. “It’s kind of like studying for that test and studying for the wrong questions, you know? They come out and they (Ole Miss) don’t press us. … I just also think the quality of our opponents has been really good.”
Neighbors thought fatigue played a part late, after the Razorbacks got close in the final minutes.
“Just didn’t capitalize,” Neighbors said. “And that’s fatigue. We only played seven kids tonight, so it’s fatigue. … just didn’t make big plays when we needed them.”
Erynn Barnum, a 6-2 redshirt junior who missed six weeks because of a knee problem, did not play and Neighbors said her situation will be day-to-day. She had to be helped off the floor and went to the dressing room with 3:17 left in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss to Kentucky. She returned to the floor for Amber Ramirez’s senior day postgame ceremony.
Neighbors said in the postgame Sunday the issue was not related to the knee problem that caused her to miss time earlier in the season.
Daniels. who made her second straight start after missing almost three weeks with a bone bruise, finished with 4 points on 1-of-9 shooting in 27 minutes. Neighbors said she’s playing at “about 60%.”
“It’s going to be minute-to-minute with her,” Neighbors said. “Structurally she’s fine. It’s just that it hurts and takes a long time for a bone bruise to heal.”
Spencer finished with a game-high 19 points along with 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Amber Ramirez added 15 — including 13 in the second half — and Sasha Goforth chipped in 13 for the Razorbacks.
Angel Baker led four Rebels in double figures with 17 points off the bench. Monk added 16 — all in the second half — and 10 in the fourth quarter.
Shakira Austin registered a double-double with 11 points, a game-high 16 rebounds and 4 assists. Madison Scott, last year’s SEC Freshman of the Year, also chipped in 12 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocked shots.
Ole Miss took advantage of 14 offensive rebounds to enjoy a 16-5 edge in second-chance points. The Rebels struggled at the foul line, making just 12 of 23, but Arkansas shot only 4 of 5.
Baker, a senior transfer, helped Wright State upset Arkansas in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament last season. She scored 13 in the second half to help the Rebels take down the Razorbacks again.
Arkansas hosts No. 25 Georgia on Thursday in its final home game of the regular season. Tip-off time is scheduled for 7 p.m.