FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas women's basketball head Mike Neighbors kept coming back to the same word after Sunday's game against Ole Miss: "gut-wrenching."
The Razorbacks held a 19-point lead at halftime, but were unable to hang on, as Ole Miss rallied for a 76-73 overtime win at Bud Walton Arena.
With the loss, Arkansas has now dropped four games in a row, falling to 17-7 overall and 4-5 in SEC play.
"It does hurt more," Neighbors said after the game. "It's ok for people to say that. If you say it doesn't, I don't think you're being real honest."
Erynn Barnum posted a career-high 37 points, the seventh-most in a single game in program history, to go with six rebounds. Barnum was the focal point of the Razorback offense, converting 13 of the team's 24 field goals.
But Arkansas was unable to convert that into a win.
The Hogs jumped out to a 39-20 lead at halftime thanks to 18 points from Barnum and 10 from Samara Spencer in the half. The key stretch was the second quarter, a period the Hogs won 21-4.
However, the second half saw the Rebels shoot 56% from the field while Arkansas made just nine field goals in the half.
Ole Miss slowly chipped away until it took its first lead of the game with 2:48 left on an Angel Baker layup that made it 60-58.
The two teams went back and forth down the stretch, with Barnum putting the Hogs in front 64-62 on a three-point play with seven seconds left.
Ole Miss went right back down the court and found an open Tyia Singleton under the basket for the game-tying shot at the buzzer to send the game to overtime.
In the overtime, the Rebels outscored the Hogs 12-9 to pull off the victory.
"I'm just gut-wrenched for us, for our kids," Neighbors said. "We did play hard. We did a lot of really good things, so it hurts."
Springdale alum and former Razorback guard Marquesha Davis was pivotal for Ole Miss in her homecoming. She led the Rebels with 20 points to go along with eight rebounds.
Former Arkansas guard Elauna Eaton also returned as a member of the Rebels, but she did not see game action.
The Razorbacks now have a week off before returning to action next Sunday at Auburn (2 p.m., SEC Network).
