Kentucky Brings the Edge Arkansas Could Not Match, Winning 85-77

An unexpected loss in Fayetteville sent a jolt through Bud Walton Arena on Saturday night. The No. 15 Arkansas Razorbacks, 16-6 overall and 6-3 in Southeastern Conference play, suffered their first home defeat of the season, falling 85-77 to the Kentucky Wildcats, who entered the game 15-7 overall and 6-3 in the SEC. Despite a raucous crowd and a second-half surge that briefly lifted Arkansas into the lead, Kentucky closed with authority, outscoring the Razorbacks 32-20 over the final 12 minutes.

Arkansas stumbled out of the gate, steadied itself midway through the second half, and then faded as Kentucky asserted its physicality down the stretch. An uneven offensive night, lapses on the defensive end, and continued struggles on the glass combined to produce a disappointing performance for the Razorbacks. As the game grew increasingly physical, frustration among fans also turned toward the officiating.

A Slow Start and Early Deficit

Arkansas won the opening tip but missed its first shot, and Otega Oweh pushed the rebound coast to coast for a layup. Meleek Thomas answered with a tough finish, but Kentucky struck early behind a Karter Aberdeen three and a Zvonimir Jelavic hook shot to take a 9-3 lead. Darius Acuff Jr. split a pair of free throws, though Arkansas struggled to find rhythm as Kentucky continued to score efficiently.

After a Trevon Brazile turnover led to a fast-break dunk, John Calipari called timeout with Arkansas trailing 14-5. The Razorbacks responded with an open Brazile three, but Kentucky answered through Oweh and Chandler, keeping control as Acuff continued to misfire. Richmond’s putback three-point play briefly steadied Arkansas, but Oweh’s and-one dunk pushed the lead to 21-11.

Aberdeen hit a pull-up three, Ewin found Richmond on a backdoor cut, and Kentucky maintained its edge behind second-chance points, leading 26-13 at the under-12 timeout. Arkansas responded with a short run capped by a Brazile dunk, then finally found momentum as Acuff hit a midrange jumper and scored again on a kick-out layup, trimming the deficit to 28-23 at the under-eight mark.

A controversial foul call on Knox sent Oweh to the line, where he made 1 of 3. Richmond answered with a strong drive, but Jelavic buried a shot-clock-beating three to restore breathing room. Wagner and Ewin responded with baskets to pull Arkansas within three, yet Kentucky closed the half with physical play and timely shooting. Noah knocked down a corner three, and Chandler converted a three-point play late.

Brazile added two free throws before Aberdeen missed at the buzzer, sending Arkansas into halftime trailing 42-35.

Razorbacks Rally in the Second Half

Arkansas opened the second half with a missed three from Meleek Thomas before Moreno scored on a hook shot over Pringle. Darius Acuff Jr. answered with a tough layup, and after Arkansas forced a shot-clock violation, Trevon Brazile blocked Zvonimir Jelavic, setting up an and-one opportunity for Acuff, though he missed the free throw.

Otega Oweh split a pair of free throws, and Ewin responded with a turnaround jumper over Moreno. After Karter Aberdeen missed a three, Acuff turned the ball over, leading to an Aberdeen transition layup. Brazile quickly answered, knocking down a corner three off a pass from Thomas to cut the deficit to 47-44.

Moreno countered with a baseline dunk off an Oweh drive, but Ewin scored again inside before Jelavic finished a leaning layup to push Kentucky’s lead to 51-46 at the under-16 timeout.

The game swung sharply out of the break, as Kentucky was whistled for three technical fouls in a span of less than a minute. Garrison, Dioubate, and Pope were all assessed technicals between the 14:49 and 14:11 marks, allowing Arkansas to surge back. The Razorbacks closed within one and took a 52-51 lead at 14:07 on a Richmond dunk.

Oweh briefly stopped the run with a layup, but Acuff drilled a pull-up three moments later, igniting Bud Walton Arena. After a defensive stop, Acuff scored again on a driving layup, giving Arkansas a 57-53 lead heading into the under-12 timeout.

Kentucky Closes Strong

Out of the break, Tramon Mark Richmond jumped a passing lane and stole the ball from Garrison, but Arkansas failed to capitalize, as Trevon Brazile missed both free throws. Kentucky answered immediately, with Chandler drilling a three to pull within one at 57-56.

As the officiating tightened on both ends, points came mostly at the line. Meleek Thomas made two free throws, Moreno split a pair, and a turnover by Darius Acuff Jr. led to an Otega Oweh dunk. Noah then converted two free throws to give Kentucky a 61-59 edge.

Kentucky’s zone defense began to slow Arkansas’ offense. Acuff found Ewin for an alley oop, but the teams traded baskets before momentum swung again. Brazile was whistled for a foul, and Ewin picked up a technical after directing the ball toward Dioubate on the floor. The call stood, allowing Kentucky to stretch its lead at the line.

After a series of free throws and half court executions, Arkansas briefly cut the deficit. Thomas scored on a runner, Brazile finished inside, and Acuff answered a Moreno basket with a layup, pulling the Razorbacks within 72-69 before Kentucky called timeout.

Out of the huddle, Arkansas could not close the gap. Richmond’s drive was blocked by Dioubate, and Oweh converted a tough finish to push the lead to 75-69 at the final media timeout.

Kentucky controlled the closing minutes. Oweh continued to attack the rim, free throws piled up, and Arkansas’ shots stopped falling. Despite late baskets from Thomas and Acuff, Chandler buried a turnaround jumper as the shot clock expired with 1:14 remaining, effectively sealing the game.

Kentucky closed it out at the line, securing an 85-77 win and handing Arkansas its first home loss of the season.

Arkansas placed five players in double figures. Freshman point guard Darius Acuff Jr. led the Razorbacks with 22 points on 8 of 20 shooting and 1 of 4 from three. Senior forward Trevon Brazile added 16 points on 5 of 10 shooting and 2 of 6 from beyond the arc.

Kentucky was led by senior guard Otega Oweh, who scored 24 points on 9 of 12 shooting and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. Sophomore guard Collin Chandler added 13 points on 5 of 9 shooting.

Arkansas shot 29 of 59 from the field and 3 of 14 from three-point range. Kentucky shot 30 of 56 overall and 6 of 13 from deep. The Wildcats outrebounded Arkansas 35-26, recorded more assists 11-10, and more blocks 6-3.

Postgame Reaction and What Comes Next

Arkansas head coach John Calipari was blunt in his assessment afterward.

“They out-toughed us,” Calipari said. “They out-rebounded by nine, 10 rebounds. We said, ‘You’re not winning the game unless you do that.’ Then on top of it, we didn’t make free throws. I mean, we shot an air ball from the line.”

Calipari said Kentucky’s urgency and physical edge ultimately decided the game.

“This was Kentucky coming in more desperate than us, and played way rougher than we played, and came up with balls that we just didn’t come up with, including our guards,” he said. “When you talk about all our guard stuff, our guards got like one rebound. Can’t be that way.”

“When they got the physicality of the game, they did some things and didn’t respond the way we talked,” Calipari said. “I knew the game was going to be physical. I told them it may be a little chippy, and I said, ‘But you cannot get a technical or do something that costs us a game,’ and it’s exactly what happened. But it’s a great lesson.”

The loss marked Calipari’s second matchup against his former program, a game he said carried heightened emotion from the opening tip.

Arkansas will have a week to regroup before returning to action against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Starkville, Mississippi. Tipoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. CST, with the game set to air on ESPN2.