Vanderbilt basketball ends season with overtime loss to Arkansas in SEC tournament
Vanderbilt basketball led by 14 at halftime and as many as 15 against Arkansas in the first round of the 2024 SEC Tournament, but ultimately lost, 90-85, in overtime, ending its season Wednesday night at Bridgestone Arena.
The Commodores (9-23) blew that lead in the second half, but trailing by four late in the game, Vanderbilt got a quick bucket and then forced a turnover on the inbounds pass, then Ezra Manjon made a buzzer-beating jumper to send the game into overtime.
In the extra period, the Razorbacks (16-16) found their way to the free-throw line frequently but Manjon continued to lead Vanderbilt. He finished with a career-high 29 points.
Five different Razorbacks scored in double figures, two of whom came off the bench. Khalif Battle led Arkansas with 24 points and Tramon Mark and Makhai Mitchell added 18 apiece.
Vanderbilt was heavily reliant on the contributions of two players, Manjon and Ven-Allen Lubin. Arkansas was 23-for-26 from the free-throw line.
Vanderbilt's total of 23 losses ties a school record for most in a season. The Commodores also finished 9-23 in the 2018-19 season.
First-half finish
Vanderbilt finished the first half strong on a 14-2 run, including Manjon's step-back jumper to beat the halftime buzzer.
The Commodores shot 54.8% from the field in the first half and 50% from 3-point range.
Tighter rotations
Vanderbilt went with the same starting lineup it used in an upset win over Florida with Tyrin Lawrence, Manjon, Lubin and freshmen Malik Presley and JQ Roberts.
The Commodores stuck with that same lineup for large stretches. Presley and Roberts both showed flashes, but Presley also fouled two 3-point shooters and picked up his fourth foul with over 13 minutes left in the game.
As has been commonplace with this team, Vanderbilt struggled to get much production out of its bench.
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Manjon takes over
When Vanderbilt was going well, it was largely due to Manjon. Manjon found space around the basket and frequently blew by Arkansas defenders for easy layups.
Lubin also played well, finishing with a double-double. But Lawrence was quiet after hitting the game-winning shot against Florida in Vanderbilt's last game .
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on Twitter @aria_gerson.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt basketball ends season with overtime loss to Arkansas
