Arkansas women hang on after another big lead disappears

FAYETTEVILLE — A 24-point lead was just big enough for the Arkansas women’s basketball team Friday.

The Razorbacks nearly blew the big third-quarter advantage, but held on to beat Murray State 82-79 in front of an announced crowd of 11,026 — the fourth-largest home crowd in program history — at Bud Walton Arena. 

Arkansas welcomed thousands of local school children for the annual Elementary Day. More than 50 schools were expected to attend. 

Murray State’s Zoe Stewart hit a three-pointer in transition with 33 seconds remaining to cut Arkansas’ lead to 82-79. The Razorbacks worked down the clock on the ensuing possession that resulted in a rushed three by Samara Spencer. 

Then the big crowd made a difference. 

Haven Ford rebounded Spencer’s miss with less than three seconds remaining. Murray State coach Rechelle Turner attempted to call timeout, which would have allowed the Racers to advance the ball into the front court, but the officials did not hear her request. 

Murray State did not get a shot off before the buzzer. 

Arkansas (2-0) had to hold on in a similar fashion to its season opener three days earlier when Louisiana-Monroe nearly rallied from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter of an 81-76 outcome. 

The Razorbacks appeared to have Friday’s game in hand after they outscored the Racers 31-14 in the second quarter to take a 47-31 halftime lead. 

Arkansas increased its lead to 55-31 with less than six minutes remaining in the third quarter, but the Racers closed the quarter on an 11-2 run to pull within 68-55, then chipped further into the lead over the final 10 minutes with a barrage of three-pointers. 

Murray State closed the gap to 74-69 with less than six minutes remaining after back-to-back threes by Ava Learn and Cayson Conner. The Racers made 6 of 9 three-point attempts in the fourth quarter. 

Arkansas freshman Taliyah Scott followed her 29-point debut Tuesday with a game-high 25 points against Murray State, including 12 points in the second quarter when she went 5 for 5 from the floor and made both free-throw attempts. 

Scott also scored eight points in the fourth quarter to help hold off the comeback. 

Stewart led Murray State with 19 points, Learn added 15 and 9 rebounds, and Ford, Hannah McKay and Bria Sanders-Woods all scored 9 apiece. The Racers, a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, were playing their season opener. 

Arkansas shot 30 of 68 overall and was 15 of 20 at the free-throw line, but committed 13 second-half turnovers that Murray State converted into 25 points. 

The Racers shot 17 of 38 after halftime, including 9 of 16 from three-point range to offset a poor first half when they were 2 of 16 from beyond the arc. 

Arkansas’ Makayla Daniels scored 15 points and Saylor Poffenbarger added a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Poffenbarger has 33 rebounds through two games to lead all Division I players. 

The Razorbacks are scheduled to host Arkansas-Little Rock on Tuesday in the first of three consecutive games against teams from the state. They follow with a trip to Arkansas State next Friday and a home game against Central Arkansas on Nov. 20.