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Home International 3 takeaways from Arkansas basketball’s unconvincing win over UCA

3 takeaways from Arkansas basketball’s unconvincing win over UCA

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FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas basketball could not land a knockout punch against an in-state rival, and despite hanging on for a victory, John Calipari watched his team put forth a third consecutive disappointing performance.

The No. 20 Razorbacks (3-1) held off a second-half rally from Central Arkansas in a 79-66 win on Friday, Nov. 13. A 20-2 run in the first half proved critical to the Hogs’ triumph, as the Bears (2-2) outscored Arkansas over the final 20 minutes.

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Here are three takeaways from the Razorbacks’ win over UCA.

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Check out our Arkansas basketball vs Central Arkansas photo gallery: Best images

Nov 13, 2026; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks wing Abdou Toure (1) warms up prior to the game against the UCA Bears at Bud Walton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

(Nelson Chenault, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Forced turnovers tell the story for the Hogs

The Bears committed nine turnovers in the first half. They led to 15 Arkansas points, and the Hogs got out in transition with 19 fastbreak points.

In the second half, UCA giveaways dried up. Arkansas only forced four turnovers, with zero coming in the first nine minutes, and that led to a Bears’ rally that cut the deficit to single digits on multiple occasions.

When Arkansas isn’t getting easy fastbreak buckets, the half-court offense tends to be a slog. The aggressive defense also leads to open shots for the opposition when there isn’t a turnover.

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Davion Thompson is the Arkansas point guard

Jordan Smith Jr. retained his spot as the Razorbacks’ starting point guard, but Thompson spent a bulk of the game at the position.

Thompson once again steered the ship with seven points and eight assists. Thompson did an excellent job setting up Billy Richmond III, who set a new career high with three 3s and finished with 21 points.

The Razorbacks’ half-court offense flows better with him on the floor, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for Smith. He shared the backcourt with Thompson for long stretches and added 12 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks.

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Smith delivered a clutch late bucket and a block that led to an alley-oop, extending the Razorbacks’ lead to 13 in the final minutes.

John Calipari keeps testing out small lineup

Arkansas’ first two substitutions of the game saw Davion Thompson and JJ Andrews enter the game for Cooper Bowser and Jeremiah Wilkinson. The moves shifted Miikka Muurinen to the 5 and slotted Andrews at the 4.

The Hogs spent the majority of the first half with only one big man on the court. They played two of Muurinen, Bowser and Maper Maker for 5:18.

The strategy worked, with the entire 20-2 run taking place with the smaller lineup. However, UCA only has one player on its roster taller than 6-foot-9. It remains to be seen if the Razorbacks can sacrifice some height against better competition.

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Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at jfuller@usatodayco.com or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: 3 takeaways from Arkansas basketball’s unconvincing win over UCA

Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com

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