Lady Bulldogs Lose Heartbreaker To Arkansas
Postgame Notes
Official Game Statistics (PDF)
GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) -- Sarah Pfeifer had 23 points and 11th-seeded Arkansas overcame a 38-point performance by Mississippi State star Tan White to beat the Lady Bulldogs 80-73 at the Southeastern Conference tournament Thursday night.
The Lady Razorbacks (16-12) trailed by 11 points after White's 12-foot jumper with 14:50 remaining.
Then Arkansas took off on a 16-4 run to move in front, 59-58 with 9:47 remaining.
After Tiania Burns' basket gave Mississippi State (17-11) it's final lead, Arkansas's Danielle Allen hit a fadeaway jumper to start an 11-2 run and put her team up to stay.
Arkansas faces No. 18 Vanderbilt, the defending tournament champion and its third seed, in the quarterfinals on Friday night.
Kristin Peoples followed Allen's basket with a jumper, Pfeifer made good on two foul shots -- she was 7 of 7 from the line -- and Mississippi State could not recover.
The Lady Bulldogs couldn't get closer than 3 points the rest of way.
White, the SEC's leading scorer, hit 13 of 28 shots from the field and 9 of 10 foul shots. White, a senior who was an unanimous member of the all-SEC first team this season, also added eight rebounds and three assists.
She made her last basket, a 3-pointer, in the final minute. But Arkansas made eight of 10 foul shots down the stretch to upset the sixth-seeded Lady Bulldogs.
Peoples finished with 18 points and Allen 14 for Arkansas.
Burns had 12 points for the Lady Bulldogs.
For a long time, it looked like White's performance would carry Mississippi State into the next round.
The Lady Bulldogs were up 23-19 in the first half when White began to dominate, scoring 17 of her team's next 21 points for a 44-29 lead.
Arkansas opened the second half with an 8-0 run to cut things to 46-43. Then White was at it again, scoring eight of Mississippi State's next 10 points to extend things before Arkansas' run.