With Brazile Leading the Way, Arkansas Outlasts Texas Tech in a High Stakes Rematch

In strong form, the No. 17 ranked Arkansas Razorbacks (8-2, 0-0 SEC) defeated the No. 16 ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders (7-3, 0-0 Big 12) 93-86 on Saturday at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, revisiting a Sweet 16 matchup from last season’s NCAA Tournament. Arkansas produced another compelling performance, trailing by as many as 10 points before halftime and spending much of the afternoon playing from behind. Texas Tech held a 77-76 lead with 5:41 remaining, but the Razorbacks closed the game on an 18-9 run to secure another significant nonconference victory.

For much of the contest, Texas Tech maintained a one or two possession advantage. Each time Arkansas, led by Trevon Brazile and his teammates, threatened to build momentum, the Red Raiders responded. Forward JT Toppin and guard Christian Anderson repeatedly countered Razorback runs and kept the game tightly contested throughout.

First Half Tilts Toward Texas Tech

Texas Tech won the opening tip and struck first on a hook shot by Watts. Bryan swatted away a layup attempt by Pringle amid heavy contact that drew no whistle. After Watts missed his next look, Brazile traveled to give the ball back. JT Toppin then scored on an offensive rebound and putback before Wagner answered with a tough finish at the rim.

Toppin continued his strong start with another hook shot in the paint over Pringle. After a miss by Brazile, Pringle cleaned up the glass to make it 6-4. Pressure on the inbounds forced a Texas Tech timeout, and Toppin later split a pair of free throws.

Atwell and Knox exchanged three-point shots before Christian Anderson connected from deep as he began to find his rhythm. Knox finished an alley-oop from Acuff but came down hard and was slow to get up. Texas Tech led 13-9 at the first media timeout.

Coming out of the break, Meleek Thomas drew a foul beyond the arc and converted all three free throws. Toppin and Ewin traded baskets before Thomas intercepted a pass but missed a wide-open dunk. Toppin capitalized at the other end with a transition layup, completing a four-point swing.

Both teams went cold from the perimeter before Toppin extended the lead with another layup in transition. Wagner responded for Arkansas, and Richmond blocked a three-point attempt. After a challenge from Calipari, the call was overturned, giving the Razorbacks possession.

A brief shooting drought followed from the foul line and the floor before Petty broke it with a layup. Toppin answered with another jumper in the paint. Ewin split a pair of free throws, Anderson raced ahead for a layup, and Ewin countered with a hook shot. Anderson and Brazile then traded three-point shots to make it 31-24.

Arkansas briefly seized momentum late in the half. Knox drilled a three to give the Razorbacks their first lead at 43-42. It did not last. 

Texas Tech closed the half on a 7-0 run, capped by a Bryan three at the buzzer, and carried a 49-43 lead into the locker room.

Razorbacks Surge After Halftime

Acuff opened the second half with a jumper from the short corner. After a brief scoreless stretch for both teams, Brazile finished the possession with a powerful follow dunk in transition. Texas Tech answered with a three by Watts, but Acuff responded with a triple of his own to keep Arkansas within striking distance.

A quick 4-0 burst from JT Toppin slowed Arkansas’s momentum, and the Red Raiders carried a 56-50 lead into the under-16 media timeout. Knox and Richmond helped spark a response, and the Razorbacks continued to chip away at the deficit.

With 14:30 remaining, Texas Tech extended its lead to six at 59-53 before Meleek Thomas drilled a three-pointer that shifted the momentum. From there, the game began to tilt in Arkansas’s favor as the Razorbacks started to outscore the Red Raiders. Toppin remained a force in the paint, but Brazile consistently delivered answers. His fourth three-pointer cut the deficit to 70-69. Moments later, Richmond stole an inbounds pass, and Acuff converted a layup and the ensuing free throw to briefly push Arkansas ahead before Toppin tied the game again.

Brazile continued to take over in the closing minutes. After Wagner poked the ball loose, Brazile drew a foul and knocked down free throws to make it 80-77. Coming out of a timeout, he pump-faked and drove to the rim for another emphatic dunk, extending the lead to five.

Knox then buried a corner three to give Arkansas its largest lead of the night at 85-79. Toppin answered with a contested layup and a free throw to cut the margin. After a missed Arkansas opportunity, a shot-clock error resulted in possession staying with the Razorbacks. Out of the stoppage, Calipari designed a baseline out-of-bounds play that led to Brazile being fouled on an alley-oop attempt, and he made both free throws.

After a missed Texas Tech three, Richmond pushed the ball in transition and found Knox for an alley-oop dunk to make it 91-83. Richmond later added free throws before Watts hit a late three. The final possessions were inconsequential, as Arkansas closed out a 93-86 victory.

The Dazzling Brazile

It was a standout performance by Trevon Brazile that fueled the Razorbacks’ comeback victory. Brazile finished with 24 points, including 18 after halftime, and added 10 rebounds. He scored 16 of his 24 points during the decisive closing stretch, completely shifting the tone of the game. Brazile was one of three Arkansas starters who also played in last March’s Sweet 16 matchup, when the Razorbacks held a 16-point second-half lead before Texas Tech rallied for an overtime win.

Arkansas finally went ahead for good when Brazile drove to the basket for a layup that made it 78-77 with 5:20 remaining. One minute later, coming out of a timeout, he faked near the baseline, sent JT Toppin into the air, and powered past the preseason AP All-American for an emphatic one-handed slam dunk.

JT Toppin led Texas Tech with 30 points and 11 rebounds, recording his 24th double-double in 42 games with the program. Christian Anderson added 26 points and 11 assists. Both players logged all 40 minutes and were the only Red Raider starters returning from last season’s Elite Eight run.

Darius Acuff Jr. and Karter Knox powered the Razorbacks’ attack, each scoring 20 points in a performance that kept Arkansas in control. Knox was nearly flawless from the field, hitting 8 of 11 shots, including 3 of 4 from beyond the arc, and bolstered his scoring with six rebounds, two blocks, and two steals. Acuff complemented the effort with 7 of 14 shooting, while orchestrating the offense with eight assists, adding four rebounds and a block, and committing only two turnovers.

Arkansas shot 52.4 percent from the field and 52.9 percent from three-point range. Texas Tech finished at 50.7 percent overall and 41.9 percent from long distance. The Razorbacks out-rebounded the Red Raiders 40-33, held advantages in bench points at 23-8 and fast-break points at 18-4, and finished plus two in both offensive rebounds and second-chance points.

Next, It Is Queens

Arkansas returns to action Tuesday when the Razorbacks host the Queens University Royals at Bud Walton Arena. Queens enters the matchup with a 5-5 record, with tipoff scheduled for 8:00 p.m. on December 16. As Arkansas continues its strong play, the Royals will face a tough test. The game will air live on the SEC Network.