Arkansas sophomore big man Zvonimir “Big Z” Ivisic erupted in the second half to help lead the Razorbacks to a 65-49 win over Troy on Wednesday.
With Jonas Aidoo relegated to emergency duty, and Trevon Brazile out with an ankle injury sustained midway through the first half, the 7-2 Ivisic was the lone forward available on the roster for a majority of the game.
He responded with 19 points, six made three-pointers, five blocks, three steals and a pair of rebounds with a majority of his damage coming in a second half where Arkansas outscored Troy 39-22 to pull away for the win.
Here is everything Ivisic had to say after the victory:
Ivisic Goes 6-7, Hogs Shoot 10-23 From Deep
“We were shooting threes but we didn’t make them. So, we made a couple in the end which I think gave us the lead in the end.
“I think we were more aggressive (after halftime). We were attacking the ball, pass, attacking the ball, pass. We were kind of including each other a little bit more than the first half. I’d say that was the main reason.
“It felt amazing. After a while we started hitting some. Felt pretty good. That’s still not what we wanted, we needed to make more. Everybody else. But we’ll just keep working on it.”
Defense Fueled Offense In Decisive 18-5 Second-Half Run
“First of all, I’d say we played pretty good defense. When you play good defense and then when you start running, you get, you know, you start to elevate. Playing better. You make one transition then you play good defense again. Defense kept us going.”
Ivisic Prefers Coming Off Bench
Feel more comfortable off bench?
“Me personally, I feel more comfortable coming off the bench. I grew up playing with my twin brother and he was always starting. It was always kind of like, you know. I never started in my life.
“National team, whatever, wherever I played, he was starting. I kind of got used to it. So now when I start and I got to go catch the ball, I got a little bit nervous. But it’s alright though.”
Big Contributions From Boogie Fland and Adou Thiero
“(Boogie)’s a fast player, see everything. He includes everyone. He’s just a really good player. He’s still 18, which is insane. He plays really good.
“Adou, I don’t think there’s another player like Adou. He’s just special. The way he moves, the way he runs. His motor, his will, it’s just amazing.”