FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Scotty Pippen Jr. scored 22 points before fouling out and in a frantic finish Vanderbilt beat Arkansas 75-74 on Tuesday night in the Commodores’ Southeastern Conference opener.
JD Notae missed the potential game-winner from 3-point range for Arkansas with 1.2 seconds left. Vandy’s Tyrin Lawrence missed two foul shots with nine seconds to go and the Commodores leading by the final margin.
Arkansas’ Chris Lykes made 1 of 2 from the foul line with 15 seconds to go to bring Arkansas within 75-74. Lykes stepped to the foul line having made all 31 of his free throws in the last three minutes of games this season. Lykes secured the offensive rebound off his miss and kicked it to Jaxson Robinson, who missed an open 3 with 11 seconds left.
Rodney Chatman made 1 for 2 from the foul line with 26 seconds left which served as Vandy’s (9-4, 1-0) final points after Pippen fouled out with 41.5 seconds left.
Arkansas (10-4, 0-2) entered having won seven straight in the series and 11 of 12. It was the first SEC-opening win for third-year coach Jerry Stackhouse.
Stanley Umude scored 28 points for Arkansas.
Despite Arkansas’ 62.5% shooting (15 for 24) in the first half, the Razorbacks led just 40-35 as Vanderbilt got 13 points from Pippen Jr.
Notae’s layup with 56 seconds left before halftime gave Arkansas its biggest lead of the half at 40-31. Pippen responded with a pair of foul shots after Notae fouled him.
Notae missed a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left, and on Vanderbilt’s ensuing possession, Arkansas’ Au’Diese Toney lost possession of the rebound off Lawrence’s missed dunk.
Out of a timeout with a little more than a second left, Pippen scored a layup off a lob at the horn to reduce the deficit to five.
Next up for the Commodores is a home contest against South Carolina on Saturday.
Arkansas travels to Texas A&M on Saturday.
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