Down by nine at the half, the Arkansas women’s basketball team erupted for 31 points in the third quarter Sunday, to take command. But it was a pair of stout defensive stops at the end of the game that helped preserve a nail-biting 74-72 win over Auburn, in front of 4,450 fans inside Bud Walton Arena.
Super freshman Taliah Scott put on a show, once again, scoring 17 of her game-high 33 points in that third period. The SEC’s leading scorer – averaging 21.5 per game – drained 6 of 12 from beyond the 3-point line to top 30 points for the third time this season.
After Auburn (14-8, 3-6 SEC) shot out of the gates with a 6-0 lead, the Tigers then held Arkansas scoreless for nearly four minutes, later in the first quarter, to take a 17-6 lead.
The Lady Razorbacks (17-7, 5-4 SEC) missed their first nine shots from beyond the arc and trailed by 14 midway through the second quarter, before Scott hit from downtown and began to sway the momentum. Arkansas outscored Auburn 19-17 in the second stanza, but still trailed 34-25 at the intermission.
Scott and senior Makayla Daniels sank back-to-back triples within a 20-second span early in the third quarter, which pulled the Hogs to within five. Another three from Scott then cut it to two. And after Auburn made a free throw, Scott canned yet another triple to tie the score at 41-41.
Scott and Daniels then converted a pair of three-point plays, in the midst of an 18-1 Arkansas run, leading the Hogs to a a 56-45 lead heading to the fourth quarter.
Scott began the final frame with her sixth three of the night, extending the Razorback lead to 14. But a late 9-1 Auburn run helped trim the lead to one. The game was tied at 67-67 with 1:24 remaining, as Daniels sank a pair of free throws, only to see the Tigers convert a layup to knot the score once again.
Junior Samara Spencer converted a three-point play – with a layup and free throw – to put the Hogs back up by three with 37 seconds left.
After a big defensive stop by Arkansas, Scott was fouled and made a pair of free throws, before Auburn drained a three to cut the lead to 74-72. The Tigers then missed a layup with two seconds remaining, but got the rebound, only to miss another shot at the buzzer.
Daniels finished with 15 points and six rebounds, while sophomore Maryam Dauda picked up a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore Saylor Poffenbarger, the SEC’s second leading rebounder, scored just four points, but grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds for the Razorbacks.
Arkansas will next travel to Florida on Thursday, with a trip to Tennessee the following Monday, before returning home to host Missouri on Feb. 18.