NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Vanderbilt is a great free throw shooting team.
The Commodores just needed to shoot about 15 more than the 22 they shot on Saturday against the Arkansas Razorbacks, who had more of a walkover than the 76-62 score would indicate.
The Dores ran into a wall in their third game in three days, a big red wall of Razorbacks who jumped on Vandy early in the second half and never looked back.
It was kind of like the big special order flag that the Vanderbilt band waved that read: Anchor Down.
The Commodores played like they had a huge weight on their shoulders while the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville was anchors away.
The Razorbacks raced to a 27-point lead, and Coach Mike Anderson did a smart thing with the Big Blue of Kentucky on the radar -- he got four of his five starters out.
When Vanderbilt finally started making some shots against mostly second-teamers Anderson took a timeout, inserted four of his top five and the Hogs coasted to the victory.
Before Anderson made his substitutions the Commodores were shooting 17 percent from the field and seemed lucky to be that high as their shots came up short, up for grabs like items on a Dillard's sales rack.
Vanderbilt, which beat Florida in overtime on Friday night, did everything it could to control the tempo. It played zone, worked the shot clock down and tried to get physical with the Hogs, and for a half it helped.
Arkansas had to scrap and claw in the opening half to get to the locker room with a 35-31 halftime lead, then came the second half and Vandy couldn't answer the bell for another round.
Give the Vanderbilt kids credit: They never quit, but they just weren't good enough or rested enough Saturday to knock out the Hogs, who have become an SEC heavyweight in the past month.
The Razorbacks outscored the Commodores 23-6 to open the second half, and from that point on it was fun time in Music City.
Jaylen Barford, Dusty Hannahs, Daryl Macon and Moses Kingsley all scored more than 10 points.
The Razorbacks outscored the Commodores 12-2 on fast-break points, 46-16 in the paint and outshot them 47.8 percent to 30.4. Those are winning numbers.
Macon dribbled away the final seconds, and before the Commodores could get off the floor and collapse again, with no time left, he lofted a 30-foot shot at the goal. Nothing but net.
It was that kind of second half for the Razorbacks, who got in a groove against a team that had a short bench and had played too many games in too few days.
Now, the Hogs get another shot at the Kentucky Wildcats, who manhandled them 97-71 on Jan. 7 at Rupp Arena. It was a night when the Razorbacks didn't shoot or rebound well. The Wildcats did.
This is not the same Arkansas team that followed that loss to Kentucky with a shocking loss to Mississippi State, got back on course with four victories before losing 3 of 4. That set the tone for a stretch run during which Arkansas won 8 of 9, its only loss coming at Florida.
The Gators were the No. 2 seed in this tournament, and expected to be playing the Wildcats in a rubber match today, but Vandy, a bad matchup for Florida, took care of business and should have earned a spot in March Madness.
So, today, the Razorbacks get the SEC regular-season champion on a neutral court. You can't be the best unless you beat the best, and Arkansas gets that shot today.
The Wildcats got stretched Saturday before surviving Alabama, 79-74, and as the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament they are expected to win today.
But if Kentucky is expecting the same Arkansas team from more than two months ago it is in for a surprise.
Sports on 03/12/2017