Hogs Overcome Slow Start, Falls Late in Thriller to Mississippi State
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — After Arkansas played from behind for the entirety of the first three quarters, a mini 5-0 spurt late from the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the fourth quarter after Arkansas took a brief 61-59 lead was enough for a 66-63 win over the Hogs inside Bud Walton Arena.
Down two with 15 seconds left, coach Mike Neighbors called his final timeout in hopes of drawing up a play. Samara Spencer looked to be going in for a game-tying layup but was met at the rim by Jessika Carter. In an unfortunate twist for the Razorbacks, the ball hit off Spencer's body as it caromed out of bounds, sealing the Hogs' fate.
Arkansas started ice cold with the Bulldogs scoring the first 10 points including eight in the paint. The Razorbacks started 0-for-6 from the field and didn't get on the scoreboard for over 4 minutes to start the game. Coach Mike Neighbors was displeased, calling timeout with hands on his hips.
Once the Hogs broke the ice with a Makayla Daniels three from the top of the key, the Razorbacks finally found a rhythm, cutting a 10-0 deficit to 16-13 by the end of the first quarter thanks to three triples.
Just as quickly as Arkansas got into the game the offense went ice cold again. The Bulldogs started the quarter on an 11-0 run to balloon the lead to 14. Jenna Lawrence's three stopped a span of over 6 minutes with no points. After hitting 14 three-pointers against Georgia, Arkansas struggled from deep and from the floor, shooting under 25% and 6-for-27 from deep in the first half. The Bulldogs took a 34-22 lead into intermission.
The Razorbacks finally came to life and finally sustained the momentum. The Hogs went on an 11-0 run in under three minutes. A game that the Bulldogs had dominated was suddenly tied. A corner triple from Carly Keats, making her second start because of Taliah Scott's injury, and a wing triple from Samara Spencer suddenly tied the game at 45. Arkansas made four straight field goals after only eight field goals in the first half. The margin was just one after 30 minutes of play, the Bulldogs clung on to a 49-48 lead.
The teams traded baskets for almost the entirety of the fourth quarter with neither team able to pull away. The Razorbacks took the lead for the first time 59-57, on a pair of Spencer free-throws with 3:40 to play. The Razorbacks finished the night 11-for-12 from the charity stripe but ultimately came up short in the waning moments.
The Razorbacks will hit the road against Alabama 2 p.m. Jan. 14. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network and fuboTV.
HOGS FEED:
HOGS MAIN ISSUE IS EVEN ON MUSSELMAN CANNOT SOLVE
HOGS STRUGGLING IN TWO KEY AREAS, JUST CAN'T LEARN LESSON
RECEIVERS COACH LANDS BIG JOB AT ARKANSAS
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