STARKVILLE, Miss. -- DeeDee Brown is not happy. 
The Arkansas senior heptahtlete built a 149-point lead on the Southeastern Conference's top-ranked Tacita Bass of South Carolina through three events Thursday only to see the advantage turn into a 16-point deficit after the 200 meters. 
Bass won the fourth and final event in 24.14 seconds while Brown was seventh in 25.94. 
"I wanted to be winning after the first day and obviously by a lot more points," Brown said. "I had some events that were subpar. I just have to come out and work harder (today). That's all there is to it. There is no regrets, I just have to work harder and get back on top where I want to be." 
Bass leads the hep with 3,298 points to Brown's 3,282. Brown was second in the 100-meter hurdles, fourth in the high jump and won the shot put. 
Arkansas senior Loren Leaverton is in sixth with 3,079 and freshman Kristal Walton is in 10th with 2,774. 
"The good thing is it wasn't clicking and I'm still up there contending," Brown said. "I'm going to get a good night's sleep and come back (today) and fight with (Bass) or whoever's up there. Since I'm not having a great meet, I'm not just going to lay down." 
Brown didn't lay off in the shot put after Bass set the early tone with a throw of 40 feet, seven inches on her first toss. On her third and final attempt, Brown heaved a 42-0 mark Bass couldn't match. 
Overall, Arkansas placed three of the top five in the shot put with Walton setting a personal-best on her final throw of 39-6.5 for third. Leaverton passed Farrah Kohorst of Vanderbilt on her final toss with 36-11.75 for fifth. 
"It looks awful good to throw PRs almost all the way around," said throws coach Bryan Compton. "They were real solid in the event. That's why we have to take advantage of it." 
Today's events will be the javelin, long jump and 800 meters. The javelin and long jump are solid for Brown and the 800 is one of her weakest events. She said there was no time to worry about what her best events were anymore. 
"It will be (my best) now," she said. "If it wasn't before, it will be now. I think the thing that hurts me the most is that I had (Bass) so far down and then she runs the good deuce while I run the bad deuce made that big of a difference." 
Even more important to Brown than the individual title is stopping South Carolina. The Lady Gamecocks also have Antionette Wilkes in third and Chelsea Hammond in fifth. 
"We're going to break up that South Carolina pack tomorrow for sure," Brown said. "It won't be there." 
Today could be a good scoring day for Arkansas if Brown can overtake Bass in the hep and Leaverton, who is solid in the long jump and javelin with the 800 as a strong event, can pass another Lady Gamecock. 
Arkansas also has senior Marie LeJour in the hammer throw. LeJour was named the SEC athlete of the week for her Arkansas record-breaking toss of 190-7 last Friday at the Razorback Twilight meet. She's ranked second in the SEC, 14 feet behind Candice Scott of Florida. 
The Lady'Backs also have Lilli Kleinmann, Laura Jakosky, Kristina Watkins, Alison Zeinner, Penny Splichal and Allison Medlin in the 10,000 meters. Kleinmann, who hasn't competed since the SEC indoor meet, will test out her hamstring for the first time this season in a one-and-done race for the season. 
She can't redshirt and is in no shape to hit the automatic time standard for the NCAA meet, so the race is more for the team than anything. 
"Lilli is by no means the old Lilli," head coach Lance Harter said. "This is something she is doing strictly for the team. As one of the co-captains, she feels she needs to contribute in any way she can and then get ready for cross country next season." 
Arkansas associate head coach Lonnie Greene gave hats off to Bass for putting herself n a position to pass Brown on the final event of the heptathalon and understood his athlete's dissatisfaction with the outcome. 
"That's the mark of a champion, someone who only expects the best from herself," Greene said. "She's in second place, this is a scenario she's not comfortable with. She's accustomed to be leading after the first day. 
"I think her response was basically the mark of a champion." 
Only today will tell if Brown will win the trophy to go along with it.