Jan. 18, 2017 Teams: Vanderbilt (10-8, 0-5) vs. Arkansas (12-6, 1-4)
Day, Date: Thursday, Jan. 19
Tip-off time: 7 p.m. CT
Site: Bud Walton Arena (Fayetteville, Ark.)
Radio: WNSR 560 AM / 95.9 FM
TV: SEC Network-Plus
Game Notes: Vanderbilt Game Notes (Ark) 
In need of a January jumpstart, the Vanderbilt women travel to Fayetteville, Ark., on Thursday night to face the Razorbacks. The Commodores (10-8, 0-5) come into the game on a seven-game skid that has featured a series of close-call losses in the past three weeks. The latest loss for the Commodores was a 74-68 setback against Missouri on Sunday afternoon at Memorial Gym. Arkansas, meanwhile, earned its first conference win of the season on Sunday, as the Razorbacks (12-6, 1-4) downed Alabama, 68-50, in Tuscaloosa. Here’s a closer look at Thursday’s game:
l Update on the Commodores: Although the Commodores are winless in SEC play, their record doesn’t tell the whole story. Four of Vanderbilt’s five SEC losses have been decided by a combined total of 18 points, and the Commodores trailed by three points or less in the final minute of each of those four games. … Vanderbilt enters Thursday’s game with hopes of bouncing back from Sunday’s frustrating loss to Missouri. The Commodores owned a three-point lead late in the game, but were outscored 13-4 in the final 2:15 and were sent to their seventh straight defeat. … In addition to Sunday’s loss, Vanderbilt has also suffered a five-point loss to Texas A&M, a two-point loss to Georgia and a five-point loss to Auburn. The Commodores owned big leads in three of the games — they had a 17-point lead in the third quarter against Auburn, a 13-point lead in the third quarter against TAMU and a 13-point lead in the second quarter against Georgia.
l Cold snap: After putting together some impressive numbers during the first six weeks of the season, Vanderbilt has endured a cold-shooting stretch over the past month. During their current seven-game skid, the Commodores are averaging 64.1 points per game, compared to 77.2 points during a nine-game winning streak that preceded the skid. … The Commodores are shooting 37.8 percent from the floor, 38.3 percent from 3-point range and 68.2 percent from the foul line during the losing streak. Through the first 11 games of the season, Vanderbilt was shooting 45.0 from the floor, 41.7 from 3-point range and 78.4 from the line.
l The leaderboard: Vanderbilt is led in scoring by two players who are averaging in double figures, with Rachel Bell scoring a team-high 12.2 points per game and Christa Reed averaging 10.2. … Marqu’es Webb is Vanderbilt’s top rebounder, and ranks among the SEC’s best, with 9.1 boards per game. … Freshman Kayla Overbeck is having a terrific season, averaging 10.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
l Young guns: Vanderbilt’s freshmen continue to shine for the Commodores, with the five-member class combining for 34 points, 17 rebounds and eight assists per game. The five players have accounted for 47.9 percent of Vanderbilt’s scoring, 40.7 percent of VU’s rebounds and 54.4 percent of the team’s assists. The five players are also accounting for 49.2 percent of the Commodores’ 3-pointers (making 65 of Vanderbilt’s 132 total 3s).
l Overbeck on a roll: Freshman forward Kayla Overbeck has quickly established herself as one of the top newcomers in the SEC. She is Vanderbilt’s leading scorer during SEC play at 12.6 points per game, and ranks second on the team in conference play in rebounding at 8.6 per game. Overbeck has posted a double-double in each of the past two games, and has four double-doubles on the season. She has reached double figures in seven of the past nine games, including the past three games, and is shooting a team-high 57 percent from the floor for the season. Overbeck is averaging 14 points and nine rebounds per game over the past three contests.
l Among the best: Through the first 18 games of the season, the Commodores have proven themselves to be one of the country’s best-shooting teams from long range. They rank third in the nation — and lead the SEC — in 3-point accuracy at 40.5 percent. … Vanderbilt is also third in the SEC in free throw percentage at 74.4. … The Commodores are 10th in the country in free throws made (285) and 16th in free throws attempted (383). … Vanderbilt leads the SEC in 3-pointers made per game (7.3) and total 3-pointers made (132).
l Scouting Arkansas: The Razorbacks are not especially explosive, ranking 10th in the conference in scoring at 69.6 points per game, but they rank fourth defensively, surrendering just 57.6 points per game. … Jessica Jackson is one of the SEC’s most dangerous players, and ranks 11th in the conference in scoring at 15.8 points per game. She also leads Arkansas in rebounding at 6.4 per game… Malica Monk averages 1.8 steals per game, which ranks 12th in the SEC.
l Series History: Thursday’s game will be the 31st all-time meeting between the teams, with the Commodores owning a 23-7 lead in the series. … The most recent match-up came last year in Fayetteville, where the Razorbacks downed the Commodores, 57-56, on a last-second shot by Malica Monk (more on that game below). … Vanderbilt owns an 8-6 record in Fayetteville. … The Commodores have dominated the series over the past 15 years, winning 11 of the past 13 games and 16 of the past 19.
l In elite company: The Commodores have several players who rank among the best in the SEC in multiple categories: Senior post player Marqu’es Webb ranks fifth in the SEC in rebounds per game at 9.1 and sixth in total rebounds (155). … Freshman Cierra Walker ranks fifth in the SEC in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.36. … Kayla Overbeck ranks 12th in the conference in rebounds per game at 7.2.
l Impactful Improvements: The Commodores are on the upswing in numerous categories under the direction of first-year head coach Stephanie White. Through the first 18 games of the season, Vanderbilt is averaging 71.7 points per game after scoring just 62.5 ppg last season. The Commodores are also making an SEC-best 7.3 three-pointers per game, compared to just 5.4 last season. Vanderbilt is converting 15.8 free throws per game this season after making only 11.4 last season.
l Ringing the Bell: Vanderbilt guard Rachel Bell is thriving in the up-tempo system that has been implemented this season by first-year head coach Stephanie White. Bell, a junior, has reached double figures in scoring in 13 of the Vanderbilt’s first 18 games. She scored 10 or more points in seven straight games from Nov. 20 through Dec. 8, and averaged 15.3 points per game during that stretch. Bell leads the team in scoring at 12.2 points per game.
l Going Deep: The Commodores are getting plenty of production off the bench this season. The Commodores, who routinely go 11 deep, have won the battle of the benches in 13 of the first 18 games. … In their first two SEC games, Vanderbilt’s reserves outscored the opponents’ bench by a combined score of 55-8 (including 29-6 against UT and 26-2 against TAMU). … During a three-game stretch from Dec. 28-Jan. 5, VU’s bench outscored the opponents’ reserves 82-18, and during a three-game stretch from Dec. 5-18, the Vanderbilt reserves outscored the opponents’ bench103-43.
l On the radar: The Commodores were among the teams receiving votes in the Associated Press Top-25 poll for four straight weeks prior to the Jan. 2 poll. It was the first time since the preseason poll of the 2015-16 season that Vanderbilt had been in the “receiving votes” category. Vanderbilt was last ranked in the AP poll in Week 15 of the 2013-14 season, when the Commodores were No. 16.
l Last time out: With the Commodores owning a one-point lead with just over a minute to play, Missouri’s Amber Smith knocked down a 3-pointer that gave the Tigers the lead for good in an eventual 74-68 victory over Vanderbilt on Sunday afternoon at Memorial Gym. Missouri (12-7, 2-3), which finished 13-of-28 from 3-point range, closed the game on a 13-4 run over the final 2:15 to send the Commodores (10-8, 0-5) to their seventh straight loss. The game featured 16 ties and 12 lead changes, and the teams were never separated by more than six points after the first quarter. Freshman Kayla Overbeck led the Commodores with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Marqu’es Webb also registered a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds for Vanderbilt, which went 10-of-24 from 3-point range in the loss.
l Last season vs. Arkansas (Feb. 8, 2016 / Fayetteville, Ark.): Arkansas’ Malica Monk converted a layup as the final buzzer sounded to give the Razorbacks a 57-56 victory in last year’s match-up between the teams. Vanderbilt had overcome a 22-point deficit to build a late lead, but Monk’s heroics trumped the Commodores’ comeback. Jessica Jackson finished with a game-high 18 points for Arkansas (10-14, 5-6) before fouling out. Rachel Bell scored 12 points to lead the Commodores (15-8, 4-6), who trailed 47-25 late in the third quarter before roaring back with a 24-2 run and eventually taking a one-point lead on two occasions in the final two minutes. Vanderbilt finished just 9-of-15 at the foul line and 3-of-9 from 3-point range. Arkansas won the rebounding battle, 34-28.
l Looking ahead: After Thursday’s game, the Commodores face rival Tennessee on Sunday in Knoxville, Tenn.