With 11,534 fans in the crowd, the No. 17 Arkansas Razorbacks delivered a win on Saturday, defeating the Fresno State Bulldogs 82-58 at Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock. The non-conference victory improved Arkansas’ season record to 7-2 and showcased the team’s versatility on both offense and defense.
“This is the state’s capital,” head coach John Calipari said. “We’re the state’s basketball team. We need to be playing here.”
From the opening tip, it was clear the Razorbacks were intent on making a statement with forward Trevon Brazile winning the tip. Brazile also scored the first point of the game.
In the first quarter guard DJ Wagner displayed his ball control and power in the paint during a fast break. He scored a layup and finished the game with 12 points.
There were many missed passes, missed free throws, and miscommunications during the first half, but the team got it together quickly. They led the entire first and second half.
The MVP of the game was guard Darius Acuff Jr. who scored eighteen points, provided five rebounds, eight assists, and had one personal foul.
Guard Meleek Thomas and Wagner each scored 12 points, and wing Karter Knox had 11.
Going into the second half, the Razorbacks were leading 34-24.
The first point of the second half was Knox with a jumpshot.
With 10 minutes left in the game and a score of 65-34, Coach John Calipari subbed in freshman guard Isaiah Sealy. Previously, Coach Calipari expressed his excitement of Sealy’s potential. But he is still waiting for him to mature in the game.
“He’s really talented,” Knox said about Sealy/ “He’s got better. He’s getting better, staying in the gym, staying locked in, he’s going to break through real soon.”
Sealy contributed 8 points, 3 rebounds, and had a personal foul. With three minutes left in the game, Sealy was subbed out and replaced by Acuff Jr., but he subbed back in a minute later.
Arkansas now heads to Dallas to take on No. 16 Texas Tech in the Revocruit Rematch. Tipoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday and will be broadcast on ESPN2.