FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas' women's basketball team lost a huge lead but gained a little hero Monday night.
Malica Monk, the 5-5 freshman reserve guard from North Little Rock, followed consecutive misses by teammates Jordan Danberry and D.D. West with a rebound putback to beat the buzzer and overtake the Vanderbilt Commodores 57-56 in a Southeastern Conference game the Razorbacks led by 22 points with 2:37 remaining in the third quarter.
Arkansas' improbable win for what appeared improbably lost snapped a four-game SEC skid and forges coach Jimmy Dykes' Razorbacks, though only 10-14 overall to Vanderbilt's 15-8, ahead of Vandy at 5-6 in the SEC to Vandy's 4-6.
"I told our kids in the last timeout that normally in a game like this it's not going to be the first shot that wins or loses but it's going to be the rebound," Dykes said. "Malica Monk of all kids at 5-4 went in there and stuck it back in. When I challenged everyone to get on the offense glass I probably mentioned every name but Mal. But she listened and she is a tough kid. Just fitting that our smallest kid got the offensive rebound and stickback."
Monk was asked to describe what happened.
"The play was designed for Jordan to make a play for all of us," Monk said. "She did and D.D. took the ball and then the ball came loose and I knew I had to grab it and shoot it and I did. I didn't know how many seconds there were on the clock, I just knew I needed to shoot it."
Dykes said his Razorbacks played a great 30 minutes but being a team unaccustomed to playing with a big lead and despite Dykes and the assistants warning them, approached the fourth quarter like "you have this won."
The Commodores "came right at us in the post and you could feel it turning," Dykes said.
Melanie Balcomb's Commodores galvanized but ultimately, she said, fell short for the causes that had them playing from behind from the game's first score until Vandy tying it with 3:32 left in the fourth quarter.
"They started outrebounding us from the start of the game," Balcomb said. "And that's how they finished the game. You can't go through the whole game and not make that adjustment."
Balcomb said Arkansas' rebounding and Jessica Jackson made the difference.
Junior forward Jackson of Jacksonville led all scorers with 18 points, 11 in the first half that Arkansas led 29-20.
"She's a heck of a player," Balcomb said.
But a player Arkansas didn't have at the end, fouling out with 55 seconds left when Monk became the biggest player on the court.
Danberry, the freshman guard from Conway, scored 10 and played "really well," Dykes said, while senior Melissa Wolff of Cabot's eight boards led Arkansas to outrebounding Vandy 34-28.
Arkansas ran away the third quarter until the final 2:37. Successive Danberry jumpers started pulling Arkansas away before a Jackson three triggered a 10-0 run peaking Arkansas at 47-25 at 2:37. Vandy's 8-2 run closed the third quarter with Arkansas up 49-33.
The wheels that seemed only slightly wobbly the third quarter's final 2:37 came off in the fourth quarter that Vandy first tied 49-49 on Jasmine Jenkins' basket at 3:32.
The Commodores took their first lead of the game, 52-51, at 1:59 on Marqu'es Webb's free throws.
Arkansas regained it 53-52 on Cooley's layup at 1:47 and extended it to 55-52 on Danberry's basket at 1:24 but would be tied 55-55 on Webb free throws with 55 seconds left and trail 56-55 when Christa Reed made one of two free throws with nine seconds left.
Arkansas next plays Sunday at Missouri.
Sports on 02/09/2016