FAYETTEVILLE — Maryam Dauda is a versatile center. Maryam Dauda is Arkansas’ versatile center.
She can put the ball on the floor, post up, pick-and-roll, pick-and-pop, pass out of the post. She’s been a consistent figure for the Arkansas women’s basketball team, as she’s needed to be.
She offers something different from the rest of the Razorbacks’ roster. Dauda is a true post presence who can still engage in the three-point heavy offense.
Dauda has been a key part of Arkansas’ bubble efforts, consistently being part of why the team’s postseason hopes have lived to this point. Her 18-point effort in the 75-68 victory over Missouri on Sunday showed much of the same: A true modern center against a team without a post presence who can guard her.
Sunday was the Razorbacks’ 12th consecutive win against the Tigers.
Dauda scored 13 points in the third quarter. Missouri, as a whole, had seven. Of her eight field goals, seven were layups. The other was a jumper. Dauda finished shooting 8 of 12 (66.7%) from the field.
Not all of the Bentonville product’s skills were needed. But the ones utilized were the difference between a win and a potential bubble-busting loss to the SEC’s cellar.
Dauda also added 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks and 1 steal.
“In the second half, I just needed to go in there, just finish strong,” Dauda said. “Just make sure to not get away from all the physicality and everything and finishing at the rim.”
Coach Mike Neighbors recognized Dauda was getting into good positions off pick-and-roll looks but some of the looks were off balance. She had five points in the first quarter and none in the second before exploding in the third.
Dauda spoke up — “She is the quietest kid but when she says, ‘Coach, I think I can get open,’ you listen to her,” Neighbors said — and went to work.
That’s something people from Northwest Arkansas are accustomed to. It’s what Dauda did when she starred at Bentonville. It’s what she did in a rotational role last season.
Now, as a starter, Dauda is living in that role. All of her numbers are up. She’s finding success in the paint and developing a well-rounded offensive game.
“That’s what opened up some of those driving lanes,” Neighbors said. “She was doing a great job with that and [we] did a good job delivering the ball in there.”
The Tigers led 15-6 before Neighbors called an early timeout. The Razorbacks have been plagued by slow starts throughout the season, and this was no different.
Dauda was one of the keys for Arkansas’ turnaround. She took over in the third quarter but was a lively presence before and after that mark.
“We received the first punch and then we threw the second punch and kept going from there,” Dauda said. “We still fought and pulled out with the win.”
“They knew what to fix,” Neighbors added. “Coach Todd [Schaefer] got in there and said a couple things defensively, I got in there and said a couple things offensively and then, bam, they went out and started doing them.”
Dauda’s third-quarter showing was the difference. Her meek personality and big showing gave Arkansas a win in what could have been a calamitous defeat. Her defense was solid, her offense was needed — particularly with leading scorer Taliah Scott out due to a “serious family matter,” Neighbors said.
Her performance is backed up by the numbers. Arkansas beat Missouri 35-31 on the boards and 38-26 in the paint.
Those are the figures that back up a performance and show a player’s development.
Those show what Dauda is, and what she’s become, for the Razorbacks.
