A Team in Form Finds Its Edge as Arkansas Outlasts Auburn
Arkansas wins its third straight game with an 88 to 75 victory over Auburn, avenging an earlier loss behind a balanced offensive performance and strong late game execution.
When the Arkansas Razorbacks met Auburn again a month later, the growth was impossible to miss. Behind career performances from Darius Acuff and Billy Richmond, the Razorbacks (19-6, 9-3 SEC) avenged last month’s loss to Auburn (14-11, 5-7 SEC), evened the season series, and delivered one of their most complete performances of the season. This is a team that recognizes its mistakes, addresses them, and continues to play with greater composure and preparation each time out.
The 88-75 victory marked Arkansas’ third straight SEC win and its sixth in the last seven games, a stretch defined by confidence, control, and quiet authority.
Auburn Strikes First, Arkansas Finds Its Rhythm
Auburn struck first as Williams-Adams powered one in over Pringle, but the early pace quickly slowed. Arkansas missed its first three attempts from deep, and both teams struggled to find rhythm. Richmond set the defensive tone by locking up Freeman, then drove baseline for a basket and later found Acuff for an easy layup. The game was tied 6-6 at the first media timeout, with Arkansas 0 of 4 from three and Auburn yet to attempt a perimeter shot.
The momentum shifted soon after. Pettiford’s three free throws were met by Brazile’s coast-to-coast slam, and Arkansas began to settle into the game. A successful challenge kept a possession alive and led to an Acuff corner three. Despite briefly rolling his ankle, Acuff stayed in the game, and Richmond capped a 10-0 run with two tough finishes in traffic to give Arkansas a 16-9 lead as Auburn went nearly four minutes without scoring.
Murphy stopped the drought with a putback, but Arkansas answered with an alley-oop to Ewin and an Acuff three off a Wagner assist to make it 21-11. Pettiford and Murphy kept Auburn within reach, but Arkansas stayed in control, extending the lead to 28-20 at the under-8 timeout behind another Acuff three and steady interior play.
Auburn mounted a brief push, cutting the margin to 30-26 on a 6-0 run, but Arkansas responded again. Acuff found Ewin for a layup, then pushed the pace for an alley-oop to Richmond as the Razorbacks regained momentum. Arkansas led 36-30 at the under-4, and after late exchanges and trips to the line, carried a 38-32 advantage into halftime.
Acuff Turns the Game
Pringle’s quick third foul brought Ewin into the game, and Arkansas took advantage immediately. Brazile scored inside, then rejected Murphy to start a run-out that ended with an Acuff alley-oop to Richmond. Ewin followed with another block on Murphy, though Murphy recovered to score, cutting the margin to 42-34.
From there, Acuff seized control. He buried three straight three-pointers to ignite an 11-0 run and push the lead to 53-34 at the under-16.
Auburn answered with a surge of its own, sparked by Pettiford and capped by a 9-2 run after the 13:54 media timeout. Freeman’s three and Overton’s and-one trimmed the deficit to 63-55, as Auburn outscored Arkansas 19-6 and controlled the glass during that stretch.
Arkansas responded quickly. Thomas stopped the run with a tough layup, and Richmond followed with a breakaway dunk while being fouled to extend the lead back to 67-57 at the under-8.
The Razorbacks maintained control from there. Acuff answered a Freeman three with one of his own, found Richmond for another slam, and later hit a pull-up jumper over Pettiford to make it 80-67 at the final media timeout, restoring separation and steadying the game in Arkansas’ favor.
Arkansas Closes With Control
Murphy missed the front end of a one-and-one, and after a missed Acuff layup and Overton three, Pettiford kept the possession alive, threw the ball off Acuff, and scored on the inbounds. Arkansas answered when Acuff rebounded a rushed Thomas shot and made both free throws.
Richmond then stripped Pettiford and went coast to coast for a dunk to make it 84-69. Pettiford hit a stepback three, but Acuff responded with two more free throws. Pringle fouled Williams-Adams, who converted both at the line.
Arkansas ran clock before Brazile finished a right-handed layup over Murphy to make it 88-74. After late misses and a split pair of free throws by Freeman, the Razorbacks closed out the 88-75 win.
Numbers That Told the Story
Arkansas placed three players in double figures, led by Acuff’s 31-point performance on 10 of 15 shooting (66.7 percent) and 7 of 10 from three (70 percent), along with a team-high seven assists. Acuff matched his career high of 31 points and added seven assists.
Richmond recorded a new career high with 25 points on 12 of 15 shooting (80 percent), adding four assists, three rebounds, three steals, and two blocks.
For Auburn, Pettiford finished with 29 points and seven assists, while Murphy posted 22 points and 12 rebounds.
Arkansas shot 35 of 61 (57.4 percent) from the field and 8 of 21 from three (38.1 percent). Auburn shot 27 of 66 (40.9 percent) and 6 of 19 from long range (31.6 percent). Auburn out-rebounded Arkansas 34-31, but the Razorbacks dominated points in the paint 52-34 and blocks 10-3.
The Road Ahead
Arkansas returns to the road for a one-game trip to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to face the Alabama Crimson Tide. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CST, and the game will air on ESPN.
