January 14, 2011

Arkansas' Lyndsey Harris hit the most 3-pointers but Georgia freshman Khaalidah Miller hit the last one.

Nate Allen | Special To The Cn

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas' Lyndsey Harris hit the most 3-pointers but Georgia freshman Khaalidah Miller hit the last one.

Miller's trey with 15 seconds left and a 58-56 lead, followed by Georgia's Jasmine James' free throw at :03 after Arkansas' Keira Peak was called for traveling at :04.2, gave Georgia a 59-56 SEC Women's victory late Thursday night at Walton Arena.

The Georgia victory was not secured until the buzzer beater trey attempt by Arkansas' C'eira Ricketts glanced off the rim.

"We beat a very good Arkansas team," Georgia coach Andy Landers said, "and goodness knows they would not go away. I couldn' say ehough about Harris. Anytme we miscued she cashed."

The loss, Arkansas' first at home for the 2010-2011 season drops the 20th-ranked Razorbacks to 14-2, 2-2 in the SEC going into Sunday's SEC game at Alabama.

Georgia improves to 13-3, 3-0 with consecutive SEC road victories over nationally No. 10 Kentucky and No. 20 ranked Arkansas.

Harris, tallied 26 points, including 8 of 13 treys. She hit five straight treys during a second half stretch rescuing the Razorbacks from down 32-22 at half to briefly up 43-41 despite center Sarah Watkins hit with two quick first-half fouls and two more fouls early in the second half while starting forward Ashley Daniels was held out still recovering from a concussion she suffered during Sunday's SEC victory at Mississippi State.

"We were down one without Ashley Daniels," Arkansas coach Tom Collen said. "And Sarah Watkins' foul trouble really put us in a bind. The offense came back on the shoulders of Lyndsey Harris. She was feeling it I haven't had a kid at Arkansas go off like she did. C'eira Ricketts (seven assists) did a good job finding her. But give credit to Georgia. They found the freshman and she buried it."

Landers said of Miller's shot, "I'd like to say I drew that up but I didn't. The proudest a coach can be is when a player makes play and when things aren't working where to go with it."

Harris said the Razorbacks, badly outrebounded 47-33, especially 28-19 in the first half, had to adjust to the makeshift lineup with Daniels out entirely and Watkins absent 15 minutes and needing to be cautious most of her 25 minutes though she did score 12 points including Arkansas' final go-ahead basket before the Miller trey.

" We were feeling sorry for ourselves with Ashley Daniels out and Sarah Watkins sitting," Harris, a junior guard said, "But then we started to believe. In the first half I was rushing. The secod half my teammates told me to calm down and let the game come to me."

Harris scored her last basket at 9:56.

"They finally realized what I was doing," Harris said, "sneaking bheind C'eria. They were so so conscious of her bringing the ball up we got a lot of good shots."

Collen said of Georgia's final defensive emphasis on Harris: "I think they had enough."

Landers said the boards and inside play (17 of 28 free throws to Arkansas 7 of 10) "were critical."

Guard Jasmine James led Georgia with 15 points while Georgia forward Meredith Mitchell double-doubled 10 points and 12 boards and center Porsha Phillips had 9 points and 11 boards.

Though admitting the Razorbacks lost a heartbreaker, Collen anticipates going Sunday into Alabama: "That's this team's challenge. We have got a lot at stake and raised the level of expectations. I think we'll be OK and that we want to redeem ourselves."

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