Arkansas Escapes with a Win After Samford’s Relentless Second Half

It was a strong performance, and the Samford Bulldogs (2-2, 0-0 Southern) deserve full credit for pushing No. 21 Arkansas (3-1, 0-0 SEC) to the brink on Friday night at Bud Walton Arena. They battled until the final moments and showed real competitive spirit.

Arkansas delivered the first surge, leading by as many as 15 points in the second half, but stretches of sluggish play created real problems. A cold shooting spell in the closing minutes allowed Lennie Acuff and his Samford squad to trim the lead to the final seconds, creating genuine panic for Hogs fans. However, the Razorbacks ultimately held on for a 79-75 win.

The numbers reflected how close the matchup really was. Arkansas went 28 of 62 from the field at 45.2 percent and 6 of 17 from three at 35.3 percent. Samford finished 28 of 68 at 41.2 percent and 10 of 29 from long range at 34.5 percent. Arkansas held a slim 38-37 edge on the boards, built a 22-9 lead in fast break points, and recorded four blocks while Samford had none.

A High-Energy First Half

Fayetteville was buzzing as Arkansas aimed to improve to 3-1 in its home stretch, playing with its full roster for only the second time this season. The Razorbacks won the tip and struck first with a layup from Karter Knox. Early in the game, Samford’s Keaton Norris and Arkansas freshman Meleek Thomas traded baskets, each scoring five points as Arkansas edged ahead 7-5. DJ Wagner then hit a three-pointer to extend the lead to 10-5.

Samford responded quickly. Dylan Faulkner scored at the rim, and Cade Norris buried a three off a Thomas turnover to tie the game. Thomas answered with a layup, and a three from Darius Acuff stretched the lead to 15-10. Cade Norris countered with another layup, cutting it to 15-12 heading into the under-sixteen timeout.

Out of the break, Billy Richmond, Trevon Brazile, and Malique Ewin checked in, and the bigs immediately shifted the game’s tempo. Ewin sprinted back for a chase-down block on Jadin Booth, and Brazile converted an and-one at the other end. Moments later, Brazile drilled a three to push Arkansas ahead 24-14 at the under-twelve timeout.

Arkansas held Samford scoreless for more than two minutes, forcing a 0 for 6 stretch from the field. The drought ended when Zion Wilburn knocked down back-to-back threes, trimming the lead to 24-20.

A Brazile jumper stabilized Arkansas, followed by a Richmond block and a Wagner drive that led to a layup before Isaiah Sealy hit a free throw to make it 29-20 at the next media break. At that point, Arkansas was shooting 67 percent and had hit five of its first seven three-pointers, while Samford was 2 of 5 from deep.

Wagner split a pair of free throws to restore the double-digit lead, but Wilburn and Booth answered with consecutive threes to cut it to 29-25 with just over six minutes left. Samford shifted into a 2-3 zone, but Brazile slipped into the free-throw-line gap for a soft runner.

After both teams missed a series of threes, Faulkner scored coast-to-coast, but Isaiah Campbell Finch responded on a backdoor cut. Thomas added a tough jumper to make it 36-28 before Acuff converted two free throws.

Acuff later found Ewin for a dunk to extend the lead. Faulkner countered with a three-point play, but Acuff matched it with an and-one to keep the margin intact. Thomas added two free throws in the final seconds of the half, though Cade Norris scored with five seconds left to pull Samford within 45-35 at the break.

Bulldogs Battle, Arkansas Holds On in Second Half

Arkansas opened the second half with a quick 5-0 burst, but defensive lapses allowed Samford to climb back. Faulkner threw down a dunk that sparked a 6-0 Bulldog run, trimming the lead to 48-46.

A tough jumper from Acuff stopped the slide, and Wagner intercepted a Booth pass before hitting Richmond in transition for a layup as Arkansas moved ahead by eight at the under-sixteen timeout.

Norris answered with a jumper, but Acuff drilled a transition three to make it 57-48. Samford surged again with a 6-0 run capped by a difficult Wilburn finish that cut it to 57-54. Brazile steadied the Razorbacks with a left-handed hook just before the under-twelve timeout.

Arkansas locked in defensively and began to pull away. Richmond grabbed back-to-back offensive rebounds and finished a tough layup that forced Samford to call time. A Brazile turnaround jumper after a Faulkner miss pushed the lead to 67-54 at the under-eight timeout.

The margin grew to 15 after Thomas hit two free throws, extending a 12-0 run. But Samford kept fighting. Cade and Keaton Norris converted consecutive layups, and although Acuff hit another jumper, Faulkner answered off a steal to make it 71-60.

Thomas scored on a second-chance layup, but Jaxon Pollard knocked down a three to keep Samford within reach. After an Acuff jumper and another Pollard layup, Brazile split two free throws. Booth buried a three to cut the lead to 76-70 with just over 20 seconds remaining.

Wagner made two free throws, but Samford grabbed three offensive rebounds on a single possession, resulting in two free throws for Keaton Norris. Acuff then split a pair at the line before Cade Norris sank a three with five seconds remaining. Arkansas dribbled out the final moments to secure a 79-75 victory. 

Freshmen Lead Razorbacks 

Freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. paced Arkansas with 20 points on 7 of 13 shooting, including 2 of 3 from three-point range. Fellow freshman Meleek Thomas added 17 points on 5 of 13 shooting, going 1 of 2 from deep and a perfect 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. Thomas also led all players with eight rebounds and contributed four assists, two steals, and a block in 36 minutes.

Billy Richmond provided a key spark off the bench, scoring 10 points on 4 of 7 shooting, including 1 of 3 from three, along with five rebounds, a steal, and a block in 27 minutes. Four of his five rebounds came on the offensive glass, including two during a critical second-half possession that helped Arkansas regain momentum.

Forward Trevon Brazile returned after missing Tuesday’s game against UCA due to back spasms, contributing 15 points on 6 of 14 shooting, including 1 of 5 from three, along with seven rebounds and a block in 23 minutes.

Samford was led by sophomore guards Cade Norris and Zion Wilburn, who each finished with 15 points. Remarkably, the Bulldogs placed five players in double figures, showing impressive depth and balanced scoring.

Eagles Arrive in Fayetteville

Arkansas continues its four-game homestand against the Winthrop Eagles (1-2, 0-0 Big South) Tuesday, November 18, at Bud Walton Arena. The game begins at 7 p.m. CST and will stream on SEC Network Plus.