Forward Daniel Gafford's 28 points helped Arkansas knock off Vanderbilt 69-66 on Tuesday night in Fayetteville, Ark.
Gafford, not known as a passer, assisted on the game-winning bucket on a kick-out to guard Keyshawn Embery-Simpson with 17 seconds left. The 3-pointer put the Razorbacks on to 67-66.
Commodores point guard Saben Lee pushed off on the next possession with 13 seconds left, his fifth foul. Razorbacks guard Mason Jones hit a pair of foul shots with 7.6 remaining, and Vanderbilt forward Matt Ryan missed a contested 3-point attempt on the game's final shot.
Guard Isaiah Joe added 18 for the Razorbacks (14-8, 5-4 Southeastern Conference), who won for the fourth time in five games. The Commodores (9-13, 0-9) have lost 10 straight.
Vanderbilt led by one at halftime, but foul trouble contributed to the disappearance of a 10-point lead.
Lee picked up his fourth foul just 43 seconds into the second half, and then Gafford took over, drawing three fouls on starting forward Clevon Brown in a span of 2:21. Gafford scored the half's first six points, leading Arkansas to a 40-35 lead, its first advantage since early in the first period.
The lead became 52-43 at the 11:34 mark, when Vanderbilt guard Aaron Nesmith picked up his fourth foul and forward Reggie Chaney canned a free throw. Then, Arkansas guard Jalen Harris drove the left side, hit a layup and drew the fourth on Brown at 10:44.
A quick scoring flurry keyed by a pair of 3-pointers each from Lee and forward Joe Toye (18 points) put Vanderbilt up 60-58 with 4:53 remaining.
The lead changed hands a few times from there. Vanderbilt forward Simi Shittu (12 points) drove the lane and kicked out to Toye in the right corner for a go-ahead 3-pointer with 43 seconds left, but those were the Commodores' last points.
--Field Level Media
Vanderbilt | Arkansas | |
Joe Toye 18 | Scoring | Daniel Gafford 28 |
Saben Lee 4 | Assists | Isaiah Joe 5 |
Simisola Shittu 8 | Rebounds | Daniel Gafford 9 |
Simisola Shittu 4 | Free Throws Made | Daniel Gafford 10 |
Aaron Nesmith 2 | Steals | Gabe Osabuohien 2 |
Yanni Wetzell 2 | Blocks | Daniel Gafford 2 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Vanderbilt | 66 | 44.9 | 9-21 | 13-21 | 12 | 30 | 4 | 5 | 14 |
Arkansas | 69 | 45.1 | 8-19 | 15-20 | 18 | 26 | 2 | 4 | 11 |