Arkansas Takes Down Texas in a Thriller

Arkansas held off a late Texas comeback to secure an 86-81 overtime victory. With Adou Thiero ruled out, the Razorbacks needed production from the rest of the team, and they delivered.

“We talked about success is when opportunity meets preparation,” assistant coach Kenny Payne said. “So, somebody else had to step up and we really thought it’d be multiple of guys, and it was.”

Game Summary

To start the game, both teams struggled to pull away. Anytime Arkansas built a lead in the first half, Texas responded. Late in the first half, the Razorbacks extended their advantage to 31-18 on a layup from Trevon Brazile with 5:27 remaining. Arkansas shot efficiently in the first half, hitting 46.2% from the field, 58.3% from three-point range, and 78.6% from the free-throw line, taking a 42-30 lead into halftime.

Arkansas maintained a comfortable lead for most of the second half before Texas began chipping away down the stretch. With 3:42 left, Tre Johnson hit a three-pointer to cut the Razorbacks’ lead to 66-63, then gave Texas a one-point lead with 1:11 remaining. DJ Wagner went 1-of-2 from the free-throw line with eight seconds left to send the game to overtime. Zvonimir Ivisic opened the extra period with six straight points, including free throws with 2:38 left to give Arkansas a one-point lead. The Razorbacks never looked back, sealing the 86-81 win with clutch free throws from Johnell Davis and Jonas Aidoo.

Who Stood Out for Arkansas

Without Thiero, Arkansas used a seven-man rotation, with every player making key contributions. All five starters scored in double figures, while Billy Richmond and Jonas Aidoo played big minutes off the bench. The Razorbacks shot 46.6% from the field, 52.9% from three, and 74.2% from the free-throw line.

Ivisic led the team with 18 points on 5-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-6 from three and 5-of-8 from the free-throw line. He also added seven rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block in 26 minutes.

Brazile, who hadn’t played more than 20 minutes in a game since Jan. 11 at Florida, logged 40 minutes. He scored 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including 2-of-3 from three, while adding eight rebounds, two assists, and a steal.

“I thought TB [Trevon Brazile] did an unbelievable job of bringing us energy and rebounding,” assistant coach Kenny Payne said. “He made a couple threes. His defense was pretty good. To get 12 and eight from him was special.”

Looking Ahead

Arkansas will travel to face South Carolina on March 1, with tipoff set for noon CST on SEC Network.