GREENVILLE, S.C. – Arkansas women’s basketball (18-14) was defeated by Auburn (20-10), 67-48, in the second round of the SEC Tournament. Shorthanded with eight players, the Hogs got off to a great start in the game with a 7-0 run, but Arkansas was outscored 34-21 in the second half. Samara Spencer, Jenna Lawrence and Makayla Daniels each logged 13 points to pace Arkansas.
Arkansas won the tipoff and Maryam Dauda got the Hogs on the board first with a turnaround jumper and then Dauda found an open Daniels who hit a 3-pointer. Lawrence then made a second-chance layup to help the Hogs start out in front 7-0 and then Auburn scored their first basket 2.5 minutes into the game. At the media timeout, Arkansas was ahead, 11-6, with 4:22 left in the first quarter. The Tigers made back-to-back baskets out of the break to cut the lead to 11-10, while the Hogs were held in a scoring drought for nearly four minutes. Spencer delivered a layup to dig Arkansas out of the hole. The Tigers then took their first lead of the game off a layup, and at the end of the first quarter, Auburn led, 14-13.
Daniels opened the quarter with a tough 3-pointer to regain the lead until Auburn picked off a pass for a layup to tie the game at 16. Spencer drove it to the basket for a tough layup, but the Tigers retook the lead off a triple and a layup off a steal. That offensive power by Auburn forced Arkansas to take a timeout, down 21-18 with 7:46 left in the second quarter. Spencer registered a layup off the break and then weaved her way to a bucket to retake the lead, 22-21, but then Auburn rolled on a 12-0 run, while staying on a four-minute scoring drought. Emrie Ellis finished through contact with a layup and then Spencer nailed a triple at the buzzer, as the Hogs trailed 33-27 at the half.
Auburn got on the board first in the second half, while both teams exchanged a pair of turnovers. After nearly four minutes, Lawrence then sank a triple for Arkansas’ first score of the second half. The Hogs began to be aggressive to the basket, drawing a pair of fouls, but missing all four free throws. At the media timeout taken at the 4:50 mark, Arkansas trailed 38-30. After a scoring drought for nearly three minutes, Lawrence knocked down her second triple, but Auburn responded with a layup. With 2:34 left in the third quarter, Arkansas trailed 42-33. Auburn scored a putback layup with less than a minute left in the third quarter. At the end of the third, Arkansas trailed, 44-35.
The Tigers got the first basket of the fourth quarter with a putback layup to extend their lead back to 11. Daniels then delivered a layup and got fouled in the process to convert the 3-point play, but Auburn quickly answered with a 3-pointer. Lawrence then had a response of her own with her third triple of the game. Arkansas called a timeout, down 51-43 with 7:30 left to play in the game. Out of the break, Auburn went on a 10-0 run, while Arkansas could not find a basket for over three minutes. The Hogs were without a field goal for nearly five minutes, until Dauda delivered a jumper. The Hogs were 3-for-33 in the fourth quarter to be outscored 23-13 in the frame, dropping the game, 67-48.