FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Arkansas women’s basketball team (6-0) pulled out a gutsy win over Wisconsin (3-2) in the Elevance Health Fort Myers Tip-Off, as the Hogs won, 65-62. In a game of runs, a 15-3 run by the Hogs in the beginning of the fourth quarter was the biggest difference, despite no field goals for Arkansas in the final 4:46 of the game. With 13 seconds left in the contest, Wisconsin had a chance to tie the game, but the Hogs were able to come up with big stops defensively to seal the victory. The trio of Arkansas guards led the way in the win, as Makayla Daniels had a near double-double of 22 points and eight rebounds.
The Hogs got off to a slow start, going 2-for-13 from the field to begin things. Wisconsin got on the scoreboard first with a banked 3-pointer, while Arkansas missed its first five shots. Taliah Scott then got the Hogs on the board with a triple and Daniels got one of her own. At the media timeout taken at 4:58, the game was tied at 6-6. The Badgers started to catch fire from beyond the arc, making 5-of-7 of their shots from 3-point in the first quarter. The Hogs trailed, 18-12, at the end of the first quarter.
Both sides found trouble firing up offensively in the first three minutes of the second quarter. Daniels then knocked down her second 3-pointer of the game to cut the deficit to two, 18-16, with six minutes left in the frame. The Hogs went on an 8-0 run and tied the game thanks to a Daniels’ driving layup and Scott followed with step-back jumper to give Arkansas its first lead of the game. At the media timeout, taken at 4:45, Arkansas led, 20-18. After the Hogs took a five-point lead off a Spencer triple, Wisconsin responded with a 14-0 run. Saylor Poffenbarger got the Hogs out of that drought with a driving layup, her first score of the game, but the Hogs trailed, 32-25, at the half.
Wisconsin kept it rolling from beyond the arc out of the half, nailing their eighth of the game to go back up by double digits, 35-25. Scott notched up to double digits in scoring for her sixth straight game with a jumper. That jumper initiated a 9-0 run, as a Maryam Dauda putback layup cut the Badgers’ lead to four, 35-31, with 6:20 left in the quarter, as Wisconsin called a timeout. That run continued with a Scott triple, but Wisconsin responded and got out of the drought with a floater. Daniels then tied the game with a 3-pointer at 39-39 with less than four left in the frame. Spencer pulled the Hogs get back ahead with a second-chance 3-pointer, and with 2:58 left in the quarter, Arkansas led, 42-39. Wisconsin tied the game on an and-1. The game was tied at 46-46 going into the fourth quarter.
Wisconsin drew a foul and made one of two shots to retake the lead, but Daniels answered with a 3-pointer and Spencer knocked down two free throws, as the Hogs led by four, 51-47, with over eight minutes left to play in the game. Wisconsin then knocked down a 3-pointer to cut the Hogs’ lead to one, but Daniels answered with one of her own to start a 6-0 run. Wisconsin took a timeout, as the Hogs led 56-50 with 6:12 left in the game. Dauda helped the Hogs keep the run alive to an 10-0 one with a tough layup and Scott followed with a triple. The Badgers then went on a 5-1 run, as Arkansas held a 62-55 lead with under four to play. With 1:57 left in the game, Arkansas led 65-59. The Hogs struggled to get a shot and knock down shots from the free throw line to close the game out. Arkansas did not score from the field for the remaining 4:46 of the game, which allowed Wisconsin to trail by one possession, 65-62, with 59.7 seconds left in the game. The Hogs missed a 3-pointer, but Emrie Ellis grabbed the offensive board. The Hogs were not able to get the putback basket, allowing Wisconsin to have the ball with 13.6 to play. Wisconsin missed a 3-pointer, but a tie-up gave the Badgers another chance with 5.6 seconds left to play. The Badgers were unable to find the shot they needed, as Arkansas earned the win, 65-62.
