GREENVILLE, S.C. -- It will be a wait-and-see situation for the University of Arkansas women's basketball team to know it has qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
Arkansas (21-12) was eliminated from the SEC Tournament on Friday by top-ranked South Carolina, falling 93-66 in the quarterfinals inside Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
No. 1 South Carolina (30-0) advanced to play Ole Miss in the tournament semifinals, while the Razorbacks' resume for future postseason play is now finalized. All Mike Neighbors' team can do is sit and wait for the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on March 12, hoping for a bid.
"I follow it really, really closely and have historically," Neighbors said. "I know it's going to be tight, and I think it's going to come down to little things ... regardless of which way it goes, if it's the NCAA Tournament or the NIT Tournament, let's use it as an opportunity to grow and learn."
It was a comfortable win for South Carolina (30-0), but the Gamecocks got a better effort from the Razorbacks than the 92-46 beatdown in Columbia, S.C., on Jan. 22. Arkansas drew within 13 points late in the third quarter, but South Carolina ended the game's final 10:15 outscoring the Razorbacks 33-19.
South Carolina Coach Dawn Staley said she has no question the Razorbacks should be in the 68-team field.
"Without a doubt," Staley said. "They're in. The schedule that they played, they finished strong in our league. They're in. They play in the SEC, and with that type of record and that nonconference schedule, I would be shocked. I have been shocked before, but I think they're in."
South Carolina scored 60 points in the lane, led by a 19-point performance from forward Victaria Saxton. Staley's team was also boosted by an 11-point, 10-rebound day from Aliyah Boston, the SEC Player of the Year.
"I will tell you this: Victaria Saxton has been an All-American against the Arkansas Razorbacks for five years," Neighbors said. "She is getting a graduation card from us. I think their team is impossible to prepare for. They're impossible to scout. I don't care what anybody says, Aliyah Boston is the most impactful player in college basketball."
The Razorbacks tied the game 7-7 early off a three-pointer from Erynn Barnum, but the defending national champions answered with a 10-0 run. Back-to-back three-pointers from Makayla Daniels pulled Arkansas back within 17-13, but that was as it would get.
South Carolina led 24-17 at the end of the first quarter, then outscored Arkansas by eight in the second to claim a 45-30 halftime lead. Saxton had 12 points in the first half, shooting an efficient 5 of 6 from the floor.
"I just do my job every game and do what I'm here to do and play my role," Saxton said.
Arkansas held even with the Gamecocks in the third quarter, sparked by confident shooting from Saylor Poffenbarger and Samara Spencer. The two combined for 16 points in the quarter, but the Razorbacks were unable to cut into the deficit.
Poffenbarger had her second-best scoring performance of the season, pouring in 22 points. The SEC All-Freshman selection went 7 of 11 from the floor, with 3 three-pointers.
"I think with the team that we have it's kind of hit or miss," Poffenbarger said. "I think everyone comes to play, and it's easy to play when you have good people around you. I think that's one thing that we're blessed with, is we have a lot of really talented players. When one is not having their best game, another one has to pick them up, and I think that's been our mentality all year."
South Carolina scored 31 points in the fourth quarter to shut the door on any chance Arkansas had. Neighbors said the Gamecocks have one of the best teams he's seen in his coaching career.
"You've got to put them in the conversation with the great UConn teams," Neighbors said. "I didn't get to see the great Coach [Pat] Summitt teams, so I can't speak to those, but I would certainly put them in the same line...Their depth is demoralizing. You can do everything right and they still get it [done]."
Spencer and Daniels added 16 and 12 points for the Razorbacks, respectively, while Rylee Langerman led the team with seven rebounds. Arkansas was beat 74-17 on the glass in the teams' previous meeting -- the largest rebound margin of any Division I game in the past 20 seasons -- but was able to reduce the gap to 51-26 on Friday.
In the teams' previous encounter, the Gamecocks outscored Arkansas 37-0 in second-chance points. On Friday, that margin was reduced to 16-12.
"I think rebounding against these guys is a mindset," Poffenbarger, who notched a program record 193 single-season defensive rebounds, said. "I think you have to kind of go in telling yourself and coming together as a team and committing to at least trying to rebound. I think that's one thing we did. We tried as hard as we could, and I think we did everything we could and fought hard against the rebounds. I think that's what you have to do to keep it even."
OLE MISS 77, TEXAS A&M 60
Angel Baker scored 23 points, Madison Scott had 16 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists and No. 4 seed Mississippi opened its SEC Tournament with a victory over 13th-seeded Texas A&M. Ole Miss (23-7) will play top-ranked South Carolina today in a rematch of last season’s semifinal. In the lone meeting this season, Ole Miss led with 1:24 remaining in the fourth quarter before losing to the Gamecocks in overtime. Baker scored 20-plus for the eighth time this season after shooting 10 of 12 from the floor to help Ole Miss shoot 51%. Texas A&M was held to 35% with 22 turnovers.
Former University of Arkansas player Marquesha Davis (Springdale), coming off a career-high 26-point performance in a regular-season finale, added 14 points for Mississippi. Elauna Eaton (Nettleton, Razorbacks) scored 11 points.
Ole Miss led 40-29 at halftime behind 15 points from Baker and 10 by Davis. The Rebels extended it to 60-42 after three quarters.
Janiah Barker led Texas A&M (9-20) with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
NO. 4 LSU 83, GEORGIA 66
Alexis Morris scored 28 points and Flau’jae Johnson had 21 as No. 4 LSU used its long-range shooting to advance to the semifinals with a victory over Georgia.
Morris and Johnson each had five three-pointers for the second-seeded Tigers (28-1).
SEC scoring and rebounding leader Angel Reese missed a double-double for just the second time this season with 15 points and six rebounds. She also was called for technical as she sparred with Georgia’s Diamond Battles. Battles was also called for a technical in the third quarter.
LSU Coach Kim Mulkey pulled Reese after her fourth foul with 9:02 left in the game. She did not return.
Georgia (21-11) will wait out the next nine days to see its NCAA Tournament destination.
The contest also featured a weather delay of about 45 minutes due to a bad storm and a leaky roof at the Bon Sec-ours Wellness Arena that sent the teams to their locker rooms for a stretch of the second quarter.
TENNESSEE 80, KENTUCKY 71
Rickea Jackson set a single-game SEC Tournament record with a season-high 34 points as Tennessee held off Kentucky in a quarterfinal round game.
Tennessee (22-10) advances to face No. 4 LSU in the semifinals.
Ajae Petty hit two free throws with 21 seconds left in the third quarter to pull Kentucky (12-19) within three at 51-48 but Jackson hit a jumper to start a run of 14 consecutive points for the Volunteers to push the lead to 65-55. Jackson scored 16 of Tennessee’s 27 fourth-quarter points.
Kentucky had lost its final seven games of the regular season and was the 14th seed, but the Wildcats knocked off 11th-seed Florida and sixth-seeded Alabama to become the lowest-seeded team to ever reach the tournament’s quarterfinal round. But against Tennessee, Kentucky struggled with attrition. Adebola Adeyeye fouled out and Petty was disqualified in the fourth quarter after pulling Karoline Striplin’s pony tail. Maddie Sherr also fouled out in the final minute.
Jackson hit 10 of 15 shots from the field and was a perfect 14-for-14 from the line while scoring 20 or more points in her seventh consecutive game. Jordan Horston scored 21 points and Tess Darby hit 4 of 5 from three-point range and added 12 points.
Kentucky’s leading scorer, Robyn Benton, was in foul trouble early against Alabama on Thursday and did not score. She scored 20 points to lead the Wildcats against Tennessee. Scherr scored 13 and Jada Walker had 12.
Box score
ARKANSASMFGFTO-RPFAPTS
Poffenbarger357-115-60-44422
Spencer267-170-00-23116
Barnum282-133-41-1238
Carr310-84-41-3204
Daniels334-130-01-21112
Langerman180-00-00-7100
Wolfenbarger161-30-00-1102
Dauda91-20-01-1222
Ellis30-00-00-0000
Team5-5
Totals20022-6712-149-26161166
PCT. — FG 32.8, FT 85.7. 3-PT. — 10-34, 29.4 (Daniels 4-11, Poffenbarger 3-7, Spencer 2-4, Barnum 1-4, Carr 0-5, Wolfenbarger 0-2, Dauda 0-1). BL — 6 (Barnum 2). TO — 10 (Spencer 3). ST — 7 (Barnum 3).
S. CAROLINAMFGFTO-RPFAPTS
Cooke241-100-01-5122
Boston195-71-13-100511
Saxton208-103-31-22019
Beal262-20-01-4046
Fletcher184-73-41-60312
Thompson30-10-00-0000
Watkins111-30-20-0202
Cardoso206-72-23-81314
Cooper10-00-00-0010
Amihere156-134-44-52016
Feagin51-10-01-1102
Kitts30-00-00-1020
Hall133-50-00-1417
Johnson201-40-00-4262
Team1-4
Totals20038-7013-1616-51152793
PCT. — FG 54.3, FT 81.3. 3-PT. — 4-10, 40.0 (Beal 2-2, Hall 1-1, Fletcher 1-2, Cooke 0-2, Thompson 0-1, Amihere 0-1, Johnson 0-1). BL — 10 (Boston 4). TO — 13 (Cooke 3). ST — 3 (Cooke, Fletcher, Johnson 1).
Arkansas17131719—66
South Carolina24211731—93
Officials — Kantner, Forsberg, Larance
Attendance — NA
South Carolina’s Kierra Fletcher (center) attempts to go to the basket as she is defended by Arkansas forward Jersey Wolfenbarger (left) and Saylor Poffenbarger in the first half Friday in the SEC Women’s Tournament in Greenville, S.C. The top-seeded Gamecocks defeated the Razorbacks 93-66. (AP/Mic Smith)