Arkansas Falls Flat in 72-53 Loss at South Carolina

Arkansas Falls Flat in 72-53 Loss at South Carolina

Arkansas, coming off a thrilling 86-81 overtime win over Texas hit the road against the Gamecocks. The Hogs struggled offensively only scoring 14 points in the first half and ended the game losing 72-53 loss to South Carolina.

“Now what they did to us was exploited us near the basket,” head coach John Calipari said. “Which my guess is every team will try to do now. So, we got to figure that out, but I said burn the tape and let’s get ready for Vandy.”

Game Summary

The Razorbacks came out flat, allowing South Carolina to take control early. Arkansas could not find an offensive rhythm in the first half, shooting just 12.5% from the field, missing all eight three-point attempts, and making 66.7% of its free throws. The Gamecocks took a commanding 32-14 lead into halftime.

Arkansas shot better in the second half but could not overcome its early struggles after scoring just 14 points before the break. The Hogs made only three field goals in the first half but improved to 12 in the second. South Carolina’s Collin Murray-Boyles had a career night, scoring 35 points on 12-of-16 shooting. Arkansas finished the game shooting 28.8% from the field, 13.6% from three-point range, and 74.1% from the foul line. South Carolina would cruise to a 72-53 win against the Hogs.

What Happened for Arkansas

Following an impressive, gritty win over Texas, Arkansas could not generate any offense on the road. Without Adou Thiero, the Hogs needed contributions from across the roster, but shots simply weren’t falling. Jonas Aidoo recorded a double-double, including four offensive rebounds, but the Razorbacks were outshot significantly, with South Carolina making 10 more field goals.

“We’re undermanned with Adou [Thiero] and Boogie [Fland] out,” Calipari said. ” No one wants to hear that, but it makes it so we cannot have three out of our seven play poorly.”

Arkansas also struggled in the paint, getting outscored 38-18 and outrebounded 35-32. At one point in the second half, the Hogs trailed by 35 points before cutting the deficit to 19 by the final buzzer.

Looking Ahead

The Razorbacks remain on the road, traveling to Nashville to face Vanderbilt on March 4. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. CST on SEC Network.