Fourth-quarter crash ruins Arkansas’ chance at upset
FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas women’s basketball team was hoping to celebrate a super Sunday at Bud Walton Arena, but No. 16 South Carolina had other ideas.
The Gamecocks (16-5, 8-1 Southeastern Conference) trailed for the first three quarters, but they scored 35 fourth-quarter points to rally for an 87-79 SEC victory.
Arkansas head coach Mike Neighbors said the Gamecocks looked like the team that’s been to multiple final fours in the fourth quarter.
“They just turned it up another level,” Neighbors said. “I don’t know why. They just looked like a different team in that fourth quarter.
“We were the aggressor in the first three quarters, they were aggressive in the fourth quarter. In this league, the spoils usually go to the aggressive team. I look down and see 35 points in a quarter and I know some of those were because we fouled late. But that’s an output, that’s video game numbers. They were just clutch.”
South Carolina started the fourth quarter with a 7-2 spurt to grab its first lead, 59-58, on Tyasha Harris’ layup with 7:55 left. Arkansas (16-7, 5-4) tied the game, 62-62, on a basket by Taylah Thomas, but the Gamecocks responded with a 9-0 run in less than 90 seconds to take control.
The Razorbacks, which led 39-33 at halftime and 56-52 after three quarters, got no closer than four points the rest of the way.
Freshmen Destanni Henderson and Victaria Saxton came off the bench to lead the Gamecocks with 19 points apiece, while Harris chipped in 15. The three combined for 32 of South Carolina’s 35 fourth-quarter points, including 12 from Henderson.
The 6-foot-2 Saxton was a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line in scoring her 19. She also grabbed nine rebounds and blocked three shots in 20 minutes.
The Gamecocks finished with five players in double figures. Bianca Cuevas-Moore added 14 points and Alexis Jennings chipped in 10 more. Arkansas sophomore Chelsea Dungee poured in a gamehigh 32 points, including 21 in the second half. She said South Carolina turned the tables on the Razorbacks in the fourth quarter.
“The difference was we were attacking them and going to the basket, and in the fourth quarter they turned around and did that to us,” Dungee said. “They shot a lot of free throws in the fourth quarter and got a lot of and-ones. I think think that was the game-changer.”
Malica Monk added 25 points for Arkansas, as she and Dungee combined for 57 of the Razorbacks’ 79 points. The lack of another consistent scorer was a key, too, Neighbors said.
“I thought Mal carried us in the first half and (Dungee) carried us in the second,” Neighbors said. “We just didn’t have a third or fourth option tonight. You’ve got to have that to beat these teams at the top of our league.”
South Carolina missed its first 10 shots from the floor and did not make a field goal for the first four-plus minutes. The Gamecocks outrebounded Arkansas, 54-42, led by Jennings’ game-high 12. South Carolina’s bench outscored Arkansas, 409.