Arkansas Stumbles at Auburn, Taking First Conference Loss

The No. 15 Arkansas Razorbacks (12-4, 2-1 SEC) suffered their first Southeastern Conference loss of the season Saturday night, dropping a 95-73 decision to the Auburn Tigers (10-6, 1-2 SEC) in a lopsided road game. Fueled by an energized home crowd, Auburn established control early and maintained it throughout, handing Arkansas its first conference setback in decisive fashion.

Arkansas entered the night riding a three-game winning streak and a 2-0 start in SEC play, buoyed by strong recent performances and growing confidence. Auburn, however, was playing with urgency after opening conference play with two narrow defeats, falling 104-100 to No. 18 Georgia and 90-88 to Texas A&M. Facing the pressure of an 0-3 start, the Tigers responded with sharp focus and physical play, an intensity Arkansas struggled to match for much of the contest.

“You’ve got to give Auburn credit,” Arkansas head coach John Calipari said afterward. “They were desperate, and they played that way,” a straightforward assessment that captured how firmly the Tigers controlled the game.

Back-and-Forth Start Gives Way to Auburn Surge

Arkansas controlled the opening tip, and Darius Acuff Jr. put the Razorbacks on the board first with a runner in the paint. Auburn answered quickly after Trevon Brazile missed a hook shot and Johni Pringle was blocked at the other end, setting up a Chad Baker-Mazara Hall three that gave the Tigers an early lead. Acuff and Hall each missed shots before Wagner knocked down an open three to put Arkansas in front 5-3. Auburn responded when Overton missed a short jumper but Williams-Adams extended the possession, allowing Overton to find Hall for a tough jumper over Knox. Brazile answered with a three, but Murphy capitalized on a defensive breakdown for an easy dunk to tie the game at 8-8.

After early turnovers on both sides, Pettiford converted a layup to give Auburn a 10-8 edge. Hall and Wagner traded missed three-point attempts, and Brazile was fouled while going up for a putback on Wagner’s miss. The foul was on the floor, resulting in no free throws, and Auburn carried the 10-8 lead into the timeout. Coming out of the break, Brazile missed another three, leading to a Pettiford layup. Acuff then turned it over, and Jovic pushed the ball ahead to Freeman for a dunk, completing an 8-0 run that prompted a 30-second timeout from John Calipari.

Arkansas briefly stopped the surge when Acuff buried a three out of the timeout. Thomas later fouled Freeman, who made both free throws to extend the lead to 16-11, before Acuff answered again with his second straight three on a feed from Thomas to cut it to 16-14. The momentum did not last. Williams-Adams committed a turnover, Thomas missed a three, and after Pettiford missed badly from deep, Jovic grabbed the rebound while battling Brazile and was fouled by Ewin while finishing at the rim. Jovic completed the three-point play, and after another Arkansas miss and turnover, Auburn extended its lead to 19-14.

Auburn Extends Control Before Halftime

Out of the timeout, Hall attacked the lane, scored through contact from Richmond, and completed the three-point play to push Auburn’s lead to 22-14. Acuff missed a jumper on the ensuing possession, and Hall followed by knocking down his third three of the game. Pringle then had the ball stripped by Hall, and Overton finished the sequence with a layup, extending the Tigers’ run and making it 27-14.

Thomas finally halted Arkansas’ scoring drought with a corner three, but Auburn answered immediately. Hall drove past Acuff for a layup, and Pringle was whistled for a hook-and-hold foul that sent Murphy to the free-throw line. Richmond later stole the ball from Pettiford, and Brazile converted a reverse layup. After several empty possessions, Thomas came up with another steal and finished with a dunk over Overton, trimming the margin to 10. Auburn, however, maintained control and carried a 33-21 lead into the under-eight timeout.

Arkansas briefly cut the deficit to single digits as Ewin sank one of two free throws, Overton finished a driving layup, and Ewin hit a straightaway three, just the second of his career. Wagner followed with one of two free throws, bringing the score to 35-26, but Auburn responded with second-chance points and trips to the line. Jovic scored quickly, Acuff answered with a jumper, and Freeman knocked down a contested three-pointer. Hall then drove to the basket for a layup, extending Auburn’s lead to 43-30 and forcing another timeout.

The Tigers closed the half with authority. A Jovic dunk followed by a Hall fast-break slam stretched the margin to 17 points. Acuff drew a foul just before the buzzer and converted both free throws, sending Auburn into halftime with a 49-34 advantage.

Auburn shot 19 of 33 from the floor in the first half and controlled the paint, holding a 30-8 edge in points inside. The Tigers also dominated the glass, out-rebounding Arkansas 22-12. Hall led Auburn with 18 points at the break, while Acuff paced the Razorbacks with 12.

Auburn Maintains Momentum After the Break

Arkansas began the second half with a positive start as Wagner found Pringle for an open look, but Auburn quickly seized control again. A 5-0 burst, capped by a Murphy three, restored the Tigers’ momentum. Brazile answered with a second-chance layup, yet Hall responded immediately with another three, keeping Arkansas from gaining any traction.

Although Brazile and Acuff provided brief scoring responses, Auburn steadily widened the gap. Freeman’s three pushed the lead to 62-42, and Muschalek later connected from deep to extend the margin to 75-50. Midway through the half, the broadcast reported that Karter Knox would miss the remainder of the game with a hip injury. From there, Auburn slowed the pace, and both teams struggled at times to generate consistent offense.

Hall continued to dictate the game, scoring through contact and converting at the free-throw line. Arkansas found short-lived offense from Thomas and Ewin, but the deficit never seriously shrank. Thomas knocked down a three to pull the Razorbacks within 20, only for a technical foul and ensuing free throws to restore Auburn’s cushion. The Tigers closed the night with steady execution, pulling away to secure a 95-73 victory.

Numbers Tell the Story

Arkansas allowed a season-high 95 points and struggled to contain Auburn’s shooting. The Tigers finished 34 of 60 from the floor and 10 of 22 from three-point range. Senior forward Keyshawn Hall led the way with 30 points on 11 of 14 shooting, including 4 of 5 from deep, along with five assists. Keshawn Murphy added a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double.

Arkansas shot 25 of 58 overall and 8 of 21 from three. Freshman Darius Acuff Jr. led the Razorbacks with 19 points, while Meleek Thomas scored 17.

After a two-game road trip, Arkansas returns to Bud Walton Arena on Wednesday night for a one-game homestand against the South Carolina Gamecocks, offering a chance to get back on track. The game is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. CST and will be broadcast on SEC Network.