Tag: Makayla Daniels

Arkansas struggles in second half, falls on the road to Texas A&M

The Arkansas women’s got outscored by 16 in the second half in a 73-67 loss to Texas AQ&M.

Despite holding a 10-point lead at halftime on Thursday, the Arkansas women’s basketball team let off the gas after the break and fell to Texas A&M, 73-67, in College Station.

The Aggies (17-9, 6-7 SEC) outscored the Razorbacks (18-10, 6-7 SEC) in the second half, 53-37.

Junior Samara Spencer led all scorers with 24 points, including a clutch three-pointer late in the game, to give Arkansas it’s final lead, 65-64. But A&M finished the game on a 9-2 run to put it on ice.

After trailing 15-13 at the end of the first quarter, Arkansas began to heat up in the second, outscoring the Aggies 17-8, to take a 30-20 lead into the half.

Sophomore Maryam Dauda and senior Makayla Daniels opened the second half with back-to-back threes, but allowed the Aggies to answer both shots with layups on the other end. Texas A&M went on an 8-0 run to go up 36-32 with 7:15 left in the third.

A layup by Dauda, off an offensive board, tied the game at 41-41. After the Hogs took a two-point lead, the Aggies drained a three to end the quarter with a 49-48 advantage.

An 8-2 run to start the fourth period increased the Aggie lead to seven. A three from sophomore Saylor Poffenbarger, and a pair of Spencer free throws, kept the Razorbacks within four. Spencer hit a short jumper, then a triple, to give Arkansas its final lead with less than three minutes to play.

A&M scored the next six points to secure the path to victory.

Spencer went 9-of-18 from the field, 2-of-3 from beyond the arc and 4-of-5 from the line, to record her sixth 20-point game of the season. She also registered three rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal.

Dauda netted 17 points, going 7-of-12 from the field and 2-of-3 from the arc, while tacking on six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and three steals. Daniels finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists in 39 minutes of action, while

Arkansas will next host Vanderbilt on Sunday for “Pack for Mak” to honor Daniels’ Senior Day, with a 2 p.m. tipoff on SECN+.

Dauda spurs on Razorbacks to 12th straight win over Mizzou

Sophomore Maryam Dauda scored a career-high 18 points Sunday, to lead the Lady Razorbacks to a win over border-rival Missouri.

Sophomore Maryam Dauda poured in a career-high 18 points, including 13 in the pivotal third quarter, as the Arkansas women’s basketball team toppled border-rival Missouri, 75-68, for their 12th straight win over the Lady Tigers.

The Bentonville product led five Razorbacks in double-digit scoring, as she knocked down 8 of 12 shots from the field, while adding five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal.

Arkansas (18-9, 6-6 SEC) went into the fourth quarter up by 20, but allowed Missouri to cut the lead to five with 24 seconds left in the game. Junior Samara Spencer and senior Makayla Daniels combined to hit 5-for-6 free throws in the final moments to preserve the victory.

The Tigers opened the game hot from the three-point line, sinking three of their first four from beyond the arc, and led 15-6 midway through the first period.

Sophomore Saylor Poffenbarger‘s layup sparked a 7-0 run for the Razorbacks, highlighted by a Dauda’s conventional three-point play, to cut the lead to two.

Sophomore Carly Keats opened the second quarter with a triple to give Arkansas its first lead of the game, and send the Hogs on a 13-0 run. Another Keats three put the Razorbacks in front 32-25 with just under seven minutes left in the first half.

Poffenbarger drained another three-pointer to spur a 6-0 run late in the half, as Arkansas outscored Missouri 25-11 in the quarter, and led 48-36 at the intermission. The 6-foot-2 Poffenbarger finished with her ninth double-double of the season, scoring 13 points and pulling down 11 rebounds.

The Razorbacks extended the margin to 64-44 heading into the final frame. But the Lady Tigers began to turn the tide, opening with a three, while Arkansas went cold on it’s first four possession of the period. Missouri (11-14, 2-10 SEC) outscored the Hogs 24-11 in the final 10 minutes, but Daniels scored five of her 14 points down the stretch to help preserve the win.

Daniels was 4 of 5 from the field and is now fifth in career points at Arkansas with 1,791, She also added six rebounds, two assists and one steal, tying her for third in career steals with 239.

Spencer also tallied 14 points, with six assists, while Keats finished with 11 points, in her first game back from a broken nose.

Arkansas was without the SEC’s leading scorer, freshman Taliah Scott, who had to return home to Florida, due to a “serious family emergency,” according to the Razorback Sports Network.

Arkansas will hit the road to face Texas A&M on Thursday at 7 p.m. The game will be aired on SECN+.

Lady Razorbacks stumble in fourth, fall to Florida on the road, 85-81

Arkansas women’s basketball team surrendered a 10-point fourth quarter lead Thursday night in a loss at Florida.

After outgunning Florida in the second and third quarters, the Arkansas women’s basketball team surrendered a 10-point fourth-quarter lead Thursday night, falling to the Gators in Gainesville, 85-81.

Senior Makayla Daniels guided Arkansas’ offensive attack, dropping a game-high 26 points, including 5 of 6 from beyond the arc. Two of the Lady Razorbacks’ starting guards returned to their home state for the game, and each turned in impressive performances.

Freshman Taliah Scott, the SEC’s leading scorer this season, is from nearby Orange Park, and netted 20 points, with two rebounds and two assists. Sophomore Samara Spencer, from Fort Lauderdale, chipped in 13 for the Lady Razorbacks, with a game-high four assists and two steals.

Florida (12-9, 3-6 SEC) looked to take control of the game early, using an 11-0 run midway through the first quarter, while holding Arkansas scoreless for over three minutes, and taking a 22-13 lead.

The Razorbacks (17-8, 5-5 SEC) then erupted in the second quarter, scoring 35 points in the frame, and taking a 48-46 lead into the half. They converted 11-of-17 shots in the quarter, including 5-of-9 from the three-point line.

A jumper by Scott at the end of the third period gave Arkansas a 71-61 lead heading to the fourth.

The Gators began the final period on a 7-0 to cut the lead to three, knocking down a pair of early treys. The teams then battled back and fourth, with Arkansas taking a 76-73 lead with 5:55 remaining.

After a timeout, Florida scored 11 straight points, including a pair of steals and back-to-back layups. After a three-point play by Daniels and a layup by Spencer cut the lead to 82-81, the Lady Razorbacks would not score again in the final 2:01.

Sophomore Saylor Poffenbarger turned in another impressive double-double for Arkansas, scoring 15 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.

The Lady Razorbacks will return to the court on Monday, as they travel to Tennessee for a 6 p.m. tip, on the SEC Network.

Poffenbarger’s career night leads Hogs past Missouri on the road

Behind Saylor Poffenbarger’s career shooting performance, Arkansas women’s basketball picked up a valiant road win over Missouri on Sunday.

[autotag]Arkansas women’s basketball[/autotag] (16-6, 4-3 SEC) was able to grind out another conference road win on Sunday night, this time over the Missouri Tigers (11-10, 2-6 SEC), 67-58.

The Hogs were once again without leading scorer [autotag]Taliah Scott[/autotag], who missed her sixth straight game while rehabbing a back injury. Sans Scott, the Razorbacks struggled to pull away from the Tigers until the fourth quarter. They entered the fourth clinging to a one-point lead, but used a 12-4 midway through the period to seal the victory.

The story of the game was, without a doubt, the gutsy performance of guard [autotag]Saylor Poffenbarger[/autotag]. After missing Thursday night’s win over Kentucky due to a nagging foot injury, Poffenbarger returned to the lineup and made an immediate impact.

She finished with 24 points (8-11 3PT), 9 rebounds, a pair of assists and a steal. Her eight made 3-pointers were a new career-high and just one away from tying the program record. Three of her eight buckets from deep came in the final frame, which helped spur the Razorbacks’ game-clinching run.

One cool aspect of Poffenbarger’s career performance was that it took place on the same night as her mother, Amy, was being honored at Missouri with her Alumni Night.

[autotag]Makayla Daniels[/autotag] and [autotag]Samara Spencer[/autotag] were the only other Hogs in double figures, each finishing the night with 13 points. Maryam Dauda also had a solid night, as she tallied 7 points, 4 rebounds, 4 blocks and a steal.

Next up for the Hogs is a date with Alabama on Thursday night in Bud Walton Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. and will be televised on SEC Network.

Arkansas women get revenge, wipe Kentucky off the court, 88-61

The Arkansas women’s basketball team were still missing leading scorer Taliah Scott, but still managed to take down Kentucky.

Even with the SEC’s leading scorer Taliah Scott missing her fifth straight game with a back injury, the Arkansas women’s basketball team found a way take down Kentucky 88-61 at Bud Walton Arena Thursday night.

The Lady Razorbacks (15-6, 3-3 SEC) had only eight scholarship players available, but still managed to score 24 of their points off of 21 Wildcat turnovers. Scott did return to practice this week, and will possibly return to game action on Sunday.

Graduate guard Makayla Daniels led five Arkansas players in double-figure scoring, knocking down a game-high 22 points, along with six rebounds, seven assists and four steals. Sophomore Karley Johnson made in her first career start with a career-high 14 points.

The Razorbacks also avenged an early-season loss to the Lady Wildcats (9-11, 2-4 SEC), who won their previous matchup in Lexington, 73-63, on Jan. 4.

Daniels started the game on fire, making back-to-back layups, to give Arkansas an 8-0 lead, before Kentucky called a time out with 6:13 left in the first quarter. After a Maryam Dauda layup, Daniels splashed back-to-back triples to boost the lead to 18-0. The Wildcats finally scored almost seven minutes into the game.

The Hogs took a 44-34 lead into halftime and continued to roll in the second half.

Arkansas outscored Kentucky 22-15 in the fourth quarter, and led by as many as 29, following a second-chance driving layup by Daniels.

Dauda finished with 16 for the Razorbacks, followed by Johnson and Carly Keats with 14 each, and Samara Spencer with 13.

Arkansas will hit the road again Sunday with a trip to Missouri for a 2 p.m. tip-off, to be aired on SEC+.

Arkansas unleashes frustration on Georgia on Sunday in Bud Walton

Arkansas wasted no time dispatching Georgia on Sunday afternoon at Bud Walton Arena.

Arkansas women’s basketball got the bad taste of Thursday night’s SEC opening loss to Kentucky out of the way early on Sunday.

The Razorbacks took a 49-18 lead to the locker room and eventually defeated Georgia 83-43 in front of 3,993 in Bud Walton Arena.

Makayla Daniels had 24 points to lead all scorers as Arkansas hit 14 3-pointers and outrebounded the Bulldogs 51-40.

Saylor Poffenbarger added yet another double-double to her chart this season, scoring 15 points and pulling down 17 boards.

Arkansas was without the services of Taliah Scott, who suffered a back injury in the Kentucky game and was held out as a precaution.

The Razorbacks will be back in action on Thursday night, hosting Mississippi State at 8 p.m. It will be televised by the SEC Network.

Arkansas dominates Lousiana Tech 100-60 on Wednesday night

Taliah Scott’s 29 points highlights offensive onslaught from Hogs, as they rolled over Louisiana Tech 100-60 on Wednesday night.

It was fun Wednesday night inside Bud Walton Arena if you were a Razorback fan. Five Hogs scored in double figures as Arkansas (8-2) cruised to a 100-60 win over Louisiana Tech (2-7).

[autotag]Taliah Scott[/autotag] led the Hogs in scoring, once again, pouring in 29 points on 12-16 (75%) shooting from the floor, including 5-8 (62.5%) from three. While Scott’s offensive performance may get most of the spotlight, [autotag]Mike Neighbors[/autotag] credited three veterans – [autotag]Makayla Daniels[/autotag], [autotag]Saylor Poffenbarger[/autotag] and [autotag]Samara Spencer[/autotag] – for their poise and focus entering the game.

“We don’t want to be that team that only plays to a certain standard based on what your opponent is ranked or something,” said Neighbors. “I also don’t try to fool our kids. I try to be as honest with them as I can. I knew that there was a potential for a letdown, but those three (Daniels, Poffenbarger and Spencer) had them ready to go at practice.”

The trio of Daniels, Poffenbarger and Spencer were able to bring that focus right into the game as they combined for 44 points – each scoring in double figures. Jenna Lawrence was the other Razorback with a double-digit scoring performance, adding 10 points of her own.

Arkansas will be back in action on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. as they host Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Coverage of that game can be found on the SEC Network.

Arkansas women defeat UCA 81-67, remain undefeated on season

Behind a balanced attack, Arkansas made easy work of UCA on Monday to stay undefeated. With the win, Mike Neighbors also made some history.

The Arkansas women’s basketball team is still undefeated after an 81-67 win over Central Arkansas on Monday.

It took the Razorbacks just three seconds to score, on a Maryam Dauda layup, and they didn’t look back. Arkansas led the rest of the way, all 38:57, en route to their fifth-straight win of the season.

Arkansas was able to win using a balanced attack, as all five starters were able to score in double figures. [autotag]Taliah Scott[/autotag] and [autotag]Saylor Poffenbarger[/autotag] led the way with 17 points each. [autotag]Samara Spencer[/autotag] chipped in 16 points of her own, while Dauda and [autotag]Makayla Daniels[/autotag] recorded 14 and 11 points, respectively.

“The balance is when we’re at our best, obviously,” said head coach [autotag]Mike Neighbors[/autotag] following the game. “I know that we’ve got that, but to see it on display in one of these first five (games)…was really good.”

With the win, it marks the third time in Neighbors’ tenure in which the Hogs have began the year 5-0. That ties Neighbors with Tom Collen and Gary Blair for most in program history.

Next up for the Razorback women is a trip to  Fort Myers, Fla. to play in the Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off this weekend. They’ll play Wisconsin on Friday at 1:00 p.m. CT and either Marquette or Boston College on Saturday evening.

Both games will be streamed on FSWBucs.com and the Women’s Sports Network.

Arkansas senior Makayla Daniels nets preseason second-team All-SEC honors

SEC coaches also picked Arkansas to finish seventh in the league.

If the Arkansas women’s basketball team wants to reach expectations in 2023-24, the Razorbacks will need their senior leader.

The SEC’s coaches are figuring she will provide.

Makayla Daniels was named second-team All-SEC on Tuesday by the league’s coaches. Daniels averaged 13.2 points per game while chipping in a team-leading 56 steals and another 98 assists from her shooting guard spot. Tuesday’s announcement marked the second time Daniels earned the honor as she was named to the same team at the beginning of last season, too.

She is set to re-write the Arkansas record books in her final season with the Razorbacks, too. Daniels is 10th on the school’s all-time scoring list and already third in school history in starts with 122. She’s seventh in 3-pointers and free throws and 13th in assists.

Her team was picked seventh in the preseason coaches poll. The league’s media picked Arkansas sixth in their poll last week.

“These polls get fans talking a couple weeks before everyone opens their season,” coach Mike Neighbors said. “Finishing in the top half of the SEC has means you hear your name on the Selection Sunday Show in March. That’s what we will be focusing on between now and then.”

Arkansas women finish undefeated on European trip

Three games down, three victories. The Arkansas women enjoyed a fruitful trip to Europe and will return home to prepare for the 2023-24 season.

The Arkansas basketball ladies capped off a 3-0 mark in Europe on Sunday, defeating the University of Regina 100-61 in Athens, Greece.

Jenna Lawrence, the freshman from Farmington, led the team in scoring with 15 points while Maryam Dauda, Sasha Goforth and Makayla Daniels were all in double figures with 14, 13 and 12 points respectively.

Arkansas enjoyed a 50-23 advantage on the glass, with Jersey Wolfenbarger pulling down 7 of those rebounds, five of which came on the offensive end. The Razorbacks had 19 as a team.

Taliah Scott tallied five assists to lead the team. They made 14 of 39 3-pointers and went 10-of-12 at the charity stripe.

The team will take some time off when they return to Fayetteville before beginning practices in preparation for the season, which begins in November.