Arkansas basketball can't pull off upset, falls to No. 6 Kentucky
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas basketball finally brought the effort and energy that fans and head coach Eric Musselman have been asking for Saturday evening against Kentucky.
But in the end, the Razorbacks (10-10, 1-6 SEC) still came up short, with a disappointing season still lacking a signature victory in the SEC.
No. 6 Kentucky ground out a 63-57 win over Arkansas. Antonio Reeves scored 24 points and Kentucky made clutch shots down the stretch, including big threes from Reeves and Tre Mitchell to secure the victory.
Here are four observations from another Arkansas loss inside Bud Walton Arena.
First punch not enough for Arkansas basketball
The Razorbacks took control early against the Wildcats (15-4, 5-2). Arkansas led by 10 at the under-eight timeout and had Kentucky searching for answers offensively without star freshman Rob Dillingham.
But the Wildcats weathered the storm. Reeves steadied the ship for Kentucky in a hostile environment, making Arkansas pay in transition and hitting clutch jumpers to avoid the upset.
Arkansas played short-handed. Trevon Brazile missed the game with an injury, while a press release 15 minutes before tipoff said that Davonte Davis was stepping away from the program. Without those two, Arkansas lacked the firepower to sustain any meaningful success on offense.
Kentucky struggled early, but eventually broke through, knocking the Razorbacks to .500 on a season that appears destined to end without a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Where has this Arkansas basketball defense been all season?
The Razorbacks had not held an opponent to fewer than 70 points since a 69-66 win over Lipscomb on Dec. 16. Entering Saturday, Arkansas ranked 294th in the country, giving up 77.5 points per game.
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The Hogs held Kentucky to just 63 points on 36.5% shooting. The defensive energy was evident right from tipoff, with Kentucky starting the game 1-for-13 and 0-for-5 on layups.
Arkansas guards continue to struggle
The backcourt had moments of brilliance, but it was another frustrating performance overall. The starters — Tramon Mark, Khalif Battle and El Ellis — shot 11-for-37 from the field. Jeremiah Davenport, Layden Blocker and Joseph Pinion combined for just three points off the bench, while Keyon Menifield Jr. did not play.
Battle and Mark each scored 11 inefficient points as the Arkansas guards could not beat Kentucky off the dribble. Easy shots were hard to come by, and the offensive slog wore on the Razorbacks. This was the second straight game Arkansas failed to reach the 60-point mark.
Razorbacks' big men bring the fight
In a rather unbelievable stat, Arkansas centers Jalen Graham, Makhi Mitchell and Chandler Lawson combined for zero defensive rebounds in the Hogs' blowout loss to Ole Miss on Wednesday. All three players responded with solid performances against Kentucky.
They combined for 22 points and 22 rebounds, with Mitchell in particular protecting the paint well on defense in the first half while Graham and Lawson fought through foul trouble.
Still, it wasn't enough, and Arkansas now shifts focus to Wednesday's road game against Missouri.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas basketball can't pull off upset, falls to No. 6 Kentucky
