No. 8 Texas A&M will have to be at its best to continue its recent run of success when it hosts surging Arkansas on Saturday afternoon at College Station, Texas.
It is the only time the Southeastern Conference rivals will meet in the regular season. Arkansas has a 108-61 advantage over Texas A&M all-time and the Aggies are the Razorbacks’ most common opponent. The 108 wins are the most by Arkansas versus any opponent.
The Aggies (19-5, 8-3 SEC) have reeled off four straight wins, most recently a 68-53 decision at home over Georgia on Tuesday. Texas A&M shrugged off a ragged 23-point first half and produced a decisive 22-0 run that began with nearly 16 minutes to play, turning an eight-point deficit into a 50-36 lead with 9:01 remaining.
Solomon Washington scored a season-high 17 points off the bench against Georgia while Henry Coleman III added 13 points, Wade Taylor IV had 12 and Zhuric Phelps tallied all 10 of his points in the second half.
“I did not think that we were good the first half,” Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams said. “But credit to our guys. They were saying all the right things as the travesty was unfolding. When our defense is able to help our offense, which is probably where we’re more reliant, a lot of good things happen.”
The Aggies shot 56.3 percent in the second half and allowed Georgia only four field goals after the break.
“I don’t think we can count on, ‘Let’s be down nine and have a superlative defensive effort in the second half, and it’ll be OK,'” Williams said. “We can’t do that again. That will clip us.”
The Razorbacks (15-9, 4-7) have won three of their past four games after a 70-58 victory at home over LSU on Wednesday. Zvonimir Ivisic led Arkansas with 25 points while Johnell Davis added 11 points and D.J. Wagner had 10 as the Razorbacks were at their best in the second half to avoid a season sweep by the Tigers.
Arkansas, buoyed by 51.9 percent shooting from the floor, took a 10-point lead on two Wagner free throws with 5:12 to play and never was threatened the rest of the way.
Ivisic has been a difference-maker for the Razorbacks. Over the past seven games, he has averaged 15.1 points while shooting 54.7 percent from the floor and 46.2 percent on his 3-pointers with 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks.
“I was so excited and happy for (Ivisic) that he didn’t just love the 3,” said Arkansas assistant coach Chin Coleman, who filled in for an under-the-weather John Calipari in the postgame press conference.
“Whenever Z can play outside, make 3s, and he did rim-run, he caught some passes and dunked, he caught some rolls on the rim instead of just popping every time — (that) makes him a dual-threat.”
After starting the SEC campaign with five straight losses, Arkansas has turned around its fortunes as it has come together as a team. Still ahead for the Razorbacks are games against No. 1 Auburn and No. 21 Missouri.
–Field Level Media
