Vanderbilt Basketball LIVE — Commodores Lead Arkansas 55-54 in SEC Tournament Second Half — Sunday, March 15, 2026
The Vanderbilt Commodores are clinging to a 55-54 lead over the Arkansas Razorbacks with 12:32 remaining in the second half of the SEC Tournament. This game is a thriller. Vanderbilt beat Florida 91-74 yesterday and are now one win away from advancing deep into the bracket. Tyler Nickel and Duke Miles are the story of this Vanderbilt basketball squad right now.
Vanderbilt vs Arkansas — Live Score by Half
Arkansas controlled the first half by scoring 41 points in an up-tempo opening half, but Vanderbilt responded with a strong second-half start to flip the lead. With just over 12 minutes left, every possession is critical.
| Period | Arkansas | Vanderbilt |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Half | 41 | 39 |
| 2nd Half (so far) | 13 | 16 |
| Current Score | 54 | 55 |
| Clock | 12:32 remaining | — |
Vanderbilt Basketball — Live Box Score
Tyler Nickel is the standout performer for Vanderbilt basketball with 16 points on a scorching 4-of-6 from three and 8 rebounds. Duke Miles is orchestrating the offense beautifully — 14 points on 50 percent shooting with a team-high 8 assists and 3 steals. The Commodores are protecting the ball extremely well with just 2 turnovers compared to Arkansas's 8.
| VAN Player | PTS | REB | AST | STL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Nickel | 16 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| Duke Miles | 14 | 1 | 8 | 3 |
| AK Okereke | 5 | 1 | 1 | — |
| Jalen Washington | 6 | 4 | — | — |
| Tyler Tanner | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Devin McGlockton | 5 | 5 | — | — |
Arkansas Live Box Score — Razorbacks Fighting Back
Darius Acuff Jr. is the engine for Arkansas with 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting including 5 assists, while Billy Richmond III has been dangerously efficient — 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting including two threes. The Razorbacks are shooting a blistering 60 percent from three overall but are being hurt badly by 8 turnovers.
| ARK Player | PTS | REB | AST | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darius Acuff Jr. | 20 | 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Billy Richmond III | 14 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Trevon Brazile | 6 | 6 | — | 1 |
| Meleek Thomas | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| D.J. Wagner | 5 | 2 | 1 | — |
Key Stats — Why Vanderbilt Has the Edge Right Now
Vanderbilt's turnover margin is the biggest reason they lead. The Commodores have turned it over just twice to Arkansas's 8, generating 5 points off those turnovers. Vanderbilt is also dominating in the paint with 26 points in the paint versus Arkansas's 16. Arkansas is keeping themselves in it from deep — a 60 percent three-point clip is almost impossible to sustain.
| Stat | Arkansas | Vanderbilt |
|---|---|---|
| FG% | 48.6% | 42.0% |
| 3PT% | 60.0% | 44.4% |
| Points in Paint | 16 | 26 |
| Turnovers | 8 | 2 |
| Assists | 10 | 12 |
| Bench Points | 7 | 8 |
Vanderbilt Basketball Context — SEC Tournament Run
Vanderbilt arrived at the SEC Tournament as one of the hottest teams in the conference. Yesterday's 91-74 demolition of Florida was arguably the most complete performance of the Vanderbilt basketball season — Duke Miles had a virtuoso game and the Commodores shot better than 50 percent from the floor. A win over Arkansas today would set up a marquee SEC Tournament semifinal matchup and significantly boost Vanderbilt's NCAA Tournament seeding picture heading into Selection Sunday next week.
