Arkansas went on the road to take on No. 1 Auburn but fell short in a 67-60 loss to the Tigers. The Hogs were able to disrupt the Auburn offense, one of the best in the country, but could not do enough offensively to leave with the win.
“That’s why they’re the number one team, and that’s why we have the record we have,” head coach John Calipari said. “We had it against Alabama, we had it against A&M, I can go on and on, and we don’t finish people off.”
Game Summary
The Hogs started strong against the No. 1 team in the country and held their own. They traded baskets for most of the first half, but second-chance points for Auburn proved costly. The Hogs shot better from the field than the Tigers, 42.9% for Arkansas to 38.7% for Auburn. Although the Hogs shot slightly better, the Tigers won the rebound battle 23-15 with six offensive rebounds. The Tigers went into halftime with a 33-27 lead.
Arkansas started the second half slowly, but its defense was able to keep Auburn from pulling away. The Hogs had to play catch-up most of the second half but finally took a one-point lead on a layup from Johnell Davis with 3:06 remaining. The Tigers responded quickly and reclaimed the lead on the next possession. Arkansas’ defense disrupted Auburn, finishing with 10 steals and 10 blocks, but sloppy play at the end of the game allowed Auburn to hold on for the 67-60 win.
“In these kinds of games, it’s five possessions,” Calipari said. “And those five where you break down because you’re not on it, or you misread, you’re losing in this league. I mean, we have no easy game left.”
Who Stood Out for Arkansas
Johnell Davis made some big plays to give the Hogs a chance. He finished with 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 4-of-5 from the foul line. Davis also had a team-high three steals and added four assists, three rebounds, and zero turnovers in 36 minutes.
Adou Thiero continues to be one of Arkansas’ go-to guys. He led the Hogs offensively, scoring 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting, including 1-of-3 from three-point range. Thiero also had four rebounds and two steals.
Karter Knox continued his success from the Hogs’ last game. He had 11 points on efficient shooting, going 5-of-6 from the field and making his only three-point attempt. Knox also recorded four rebounds, two steals, and a block in 29 minutes.
Billy Richmond III has seen an increased role in the last four games, averaging 22.5 minutes per game. He had eight points against the Tigers on 4-of-5 shooting and added four rebounds, an assist, and a block in 18 minutes.
“Now I’ll say this, Bill Richmond, dude comes ready every game,” Calipari said. “I’m telling you, if you walked in our practice, you’d say that kid works as hard as anybody. He’s probably our hardest worker, and it’s coming through on the court now.”
Looking Ahead
The Hogs will return home to host No. 15 Missouri at Bud Walton Arena on Feb. 22, with tipoff set for 7 p.m. CST on ESPN.
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