Preview – Arkansas Set to Face Vanderbilt for Second Time

FAYETTEVILLE – The Arkansas women’s basketball team (18-7, 5-5 SEC) is set to face Vanderbilt (10-14, 1-9 SEC) for the second time in a little over three weeks on Thursday night. The game will tipoff at 8 p.m. on SEC Network inside the confines of Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville. Arkansas is seeking for a sweep over Vandy this season after defeating the Commodores at the buzzer in Fayetteville last month.

GAME INFORMATION

Date: Thursday, Feb. 9
Time: 8 p.m.
Opponent: Vanderbilt
Location: Memorial Gymnasium
Watch: SECN
Listen: Razorback Sports Network from Learfield
Arkansas Game Notes
Vanderbilt Game Notes
Live Stats

STORYLINES

• Arkansas snapped its four game-losing streak by beating Auburn on Sunday, 54-51, to improve to .500 with a 5-5 mark in the SEC. The Razorbacks are tied for fifth in the SEC standings
• The team is 18-7 overall, with its win total matching last season’s amount
• In five of the last six games, Arkansas has either won or lost a game by three. With those games, Arkansas defeated Vanderbilt (84-81) and Auburn (54-51) by three and lost to No. 3/4 LSU (79-76), Alabama (69-66) and Ole Miss (76-73, OT) by three
• The Razorbacks face Vanderbilt for the second time this season, with the first matchup having happened three weeks ago in Fayetteville, resulting in win at the buzzer by Makayla Daniels. Arkansas won, 84-81
• This is the second consecutive year Arkansas will play at the Commodores’ home in Nashville
• A win would give the Razorbacks an opportunity to get back above .500 in SEC play
• All five Arkansas starters are averaging near double digits in scoring. There are 11 teams in the country who have at least five players who average double digits per game
• Erynn Barnum is playing the best basketball in her career and is one of the most dominant players in the country right now. She leads the team with 16.7 points per game, while also pulling down 6.9 rebounds per game and tallying 51 assists, 36 steals and 26 blocks. Her .587 field goal percentage is second in the SEC, and she is one of 10 candidates for the Katrina McClain Award, given to the best power forward in the country
• Saylor Poffenbarger paces the team in rebounding with 7.0 per game, 153 of her 176 rebounds coming on the defensive side. She also has a team-leading 28 total blocks
• Samara Spencer is the second leading scorer with 14.8 points per game and leads the team in assists with 110, 4.4 per game. Her assist total has already surpassed the amount she accumulated last season as a freshman
• Daniels leads the team in steals with 36 and averages 12.9 points per game
• Chrissy Carr puts up 10.6 points per game and leads the squad with 53 3-pointers
• The team is second in least turnovers committed per game in the SEC with 13.9 per game
• Arkansas gets to the line 24.76 times per game, which is second in the conference and third in the country. The Razorbacks’ 16.28 makes per game from the free throw line is second in the SEC and seventh in the NCAA
• Arkansas leads the SEC in 3-point attempts per game (26.1), which is 17th in the country, and is No. 2 in 3-pointers per game (8.0) in the league
• The Razorbacks’ 29.4 defensive rebounds per game is No. 3 in the SEC

SCOUTING VANDERBILT

• Vandy is 10-14 overall and 1-9 in SEC play heading into Thursday with a shorthanded eight-person roster
• Ciaja Harbison is leading the way with 19.9 points per game, while also pacing the team with 89 assists and 51 steals. She tied a program record 41 points against Texas A&M in their win
• Marnelle Garraud follows with 13.5 points per game. She tallied 31 points in Fayetteville in the last meeting with Arkansas, shooting a blistering 7-of-10 from beyond the arc
• Sacha Washington leads the team on the glass with 7.2 rebounds per game, as well as 35 blocks
• Vanderbilt was projected to finish 14th in the SEC Media and Coaches polls
• Shea Ralph is in her second year at the helm of Vandy, leading the Commodores to their first postseason appearance since 2014 last year, as the team cruised to the third round of the WNIT

HISTORY AGAINST THE COMMODORES

• The series between Vanderbilt and Arkansas consists of 38 games, while the Commodores have a 26-12 advantage
• In Arkansas’ 12 wins over Vanderbilt, the Razorbacks have won four of those games at the buzzer (one took the game into overtime and an eventual win)
• The two teams have played one another every year (except in 2021 when Vandy cancelled their season), since 1992, which was Arkansas’ first year in the SEC
• Arkansas hasn’t had much success in Nashville, holding a 2-17 record on the road at Vandy. The last time Arkansas came home from Nashville with a win was 2020 (100-66 on 1/19/20), and the other time was on Jan. 23, 2000 (61-52)
• In the last 10 meetings, Arkansas has a 6-4 edge, as well as holds a 4-1 advantage in the last five contests
• The Razorbacks defeated Vandy, 84-81, a little over three weeks ago in Fayetteville. Daniels banked in the game-winning shot, with the play being featured as No. 1 on Sportscenter and Good Morning America, as well as featured in other national publications. She finished that game with 16 points. All five starters in the game reached double digits in scoring. Spencer led the way with 23 points and Barnum followed with 18 points and nine rebounds. Poffenbarger and Carr added 13 and 11 points, respectively

 LAST TIME OUT

• Arkansas escaped out of Auburn with a win when it seemed like all odds were stacked against them in the final minute of the game for the 54-51 victory
• Auburn missed two free throws and turned the ball over off a 5-second violation to give Arkansas the ball back with 7.2 seconds remaining up one. Daniels came up clutch once again to pull the Razorbacks ahead by three and force Auburn to take a three in hopes to tie the game, which they were unable to do with a long 3-point attempt
• Barnum led the team with a hard-fought 14 points and nine rebounds
• Poffenbarger followed with her fourth double-double of the year following 10 points and 10 rebounds
• Daniels ended with 11 points
• Arkansas outrebounded Auburn, 43-40, while also pulling down 11 offensive boards. This marked the first game since Missouri on Jan. 8 the Razorbacks have outrebounded its opponent
• The Razorbacks held Auburn to 7.1 percent shooting from 3-point (1-of-14)

 UPCOMING

Arkansas returns home to face Missouri for the second time this season. The game will tipoff at 2 p.m. at Bud Walton Arena, and the game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.

 MORE INFORMATION

For more information about Arkansas Women’s Basketball, follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @RazorbackWBB and on Facebook at Facebook.com/RazorbackWBB. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel, “Kickin’ It In The Neighborhood” for an inside look at the Razorback women’s basketball program and check out The Neighborhood podcasts at CoachNeighbors.com.