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GAME NOTES: Fresh off a thrilling victory, the 16th-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores hope to continue their recent string of strong play when they drop in on the Arkansas Razorbacks for an SEC clash this afternoon at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville.

Vanderbilt outlasted visiting Georgia on Thursday night in overtime, 96-94, and has won four of its last five games to ascend to 21-6 on the season and 10-3 in conference -- its best start to league play since 1992-93. The Commodores, who are 14-1 at home and 5-3 in true road games, will play a pair away from home (today against Arkansas and at Florida on Tuesday) before closing out the regular season next Saturday against South Carolina in Nashville.

Arkansas fell to LSU on Wednesday in a 65-54 final, a surprising outcome when you consider the Tigers were 0-12 in SEC action coming into that encounter. As a result, the Razorbacks currently sit an even 14-14 on the year and a game over .500 in conference at 7-6. The Hogs have lost two straight and three of their last four overall, and this bout is one of three the team will play to close out the regular season against teams that are now, or were at one point, ranked in the Top-25.

Arkansas owns a 15-8 edge in the all-time series with Vanderbilt, and the Razorbacks have won eight of the nine previous meetings in Fayetteville. The Commodores won the most recent matchup last March in a 75-58 final.

Vanderbilt put five players in double figures in the recent win over Georgia, led by Jermaine Beal's monster effort that saw him net 28 points and hand out seven assists. A.J. Ogilvy shot just 3-of-10 from the field, but converted 11- of-14 free-throw attempts to finish with 17 points, and he added 10 rebounds as well, while Andre Walker also scored 17 points, John Jenkins came off the bench to tally 14 points and Jeffery Taylor pitched in with 11, despite his dreadful 3-of-11 shooting performance. Overall, the Commodores knocked down 45 percent of their total shots, including 7-of-15 three-pointers, and a 35-18 advantage in points from the foul line proved crucial. Beal (14.9 ppg, 3.0 apg) heads a list of four 'Dores currently averaging double digits on the season, with Taylor (14.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg), Ogilvy (13.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and Jenkins (10.2 ppg) all helping the team achieve the majority of its goals thus far. Vandy has had very little trouble putting points on the scoreboard (78.4 ppg), but the club is yielding nearly 70 ppg (69.3) and is almost even in both rebounding differential (+0.8) and turnover margin (+0.3).

Courtney Fortson scored a game-high 18 points, and Rotnei Clarks chipped in 14, but the two combined to go just 11-of-32 from the floor in the Razorbacks' 65-54 loss at LSU on Wednesday night. Arkansas shot just 34 percent for the game and committed 21 turnovers, with seven each credited to Fortson and Marshawn Powell. The Hogs were particularly dreadful in the first half, hitting just five field goals as they trailed the Tigers, 33-18, at the break. Despite playing in only 13 games this season, Fortson is averaging 19 ppg, while Clarke, Powell and Mike Washington round out the team's double-digit scorers. Laying claim to narrow advantages in both scoring and turnover margin, the Hogs can at times be a team that causes fits for the opposition. Unfortunately, they have been inconsistent and as a result, have stumbled their way to what many would label a disappointing season.

While the Razorbacks have the good fortune of hosting this game, the Commodores are the better team and should be able to control the tempo and post their 22nd win of the season.