Jan. 24, 2017
By Zac Ellis
VUCommodores.com
On campus in Nashville – On the heels of a huge victory over Florida, Vanderbilt suffered heartbreak against Arkansas on Tuesday. The Razorbacks rallied from 15-point second-half deficit and hit three free throws with under two seconds to play to steal a 71-70 victory over the Commodores.
Let’s clean the glass from what happened in Nashville:
THE SKINNY: Vanderbilt looked ready and willing to pounce on a vulnerable Arkansas squad in the first few minutes on Tuesday. The Commodores led by as many as nine points in the first half, but the Razorbacks stormed back to a 30-30 tie at halftime. In the second half, Vanderbilt took control with a 15-0 run in which it held Arkansas without a point for 7:24. But the resilient Razorbacks didn’t give up and scored on 11 of their final 12 possessions – and hit their free throws – to beat Vanderbilt.
TURNING POINT: The final 49 seconds. That’s when Vanderbilt coughed up two key turnovers and allowed Arkansas to close the game on a 7-0 run. The Commodores’ Joe Toye fouled Razorbacks’ guard Daryl Macon on a 3-point attempt with Vanderbilt leading 70-68 with 1.6 left. Macon stepped to the line and calmly sank three free throws to give his team a 71-70 lead. A last-ditch heave from Vanderbilt’s Nolan Cressler clanked off the rim.
IMPACT PLAYER: Daryl Macon. Few SEC players could be as poised as Arkansas’ junior guard was in a clutch moment in a hostile environment. Macon drilled all three of his must-hit free throws in front of a rowdy Memorial Gym crowd to seal the Hogs’ win. The junior finished 7-of-7 from the free-throw line alongside 12 total points.
STARTLING STAT: 15 – Vanderbilt’s lead with 6:02 left to play. The Commodores were in complete control late in the second half before Arkansas staged its rally.
WHAT IT MEANS: Vanderbilt wasn’t able to ride the momentum of last Saturday’s upset of Florida in Gainesville. Instead of notching a second straight SEC victory, the Commodores dropped to 3-5 in SEC play (and 9-11 overall).
QUOTABLE: “We were in great position to win this game for 37 minutes. One of the things we said coming in was consistency, that it would take a 40-minute effort to beat Arkansas.” -Vanderbilt head coach Bryce Drew
WHAT’S NEXT: Vanderbilt welcomes Iowa State to Nashville on Saturday as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge. The Commodores and Cyclones tip off at 3 p.m. CT on ESPN2.