FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas spent the primary three weeks of 2023 getting higher.
LSU didn’t.
That is how the Razorbacks have been capable of run out to a 38-14 halftime lead over the Tigers in Bud Walton.
Whereas Arkansas missed soar shot after soar shot to dig themselves a gap down in Baton Rouge, they got here out on hearth at residence, attacking the basket and taking part in suffocating protection to the delight of a smaller, however loud crowd that braved heavy snow in hopes of seeing the Hogs get revenge for a earlier loss.
“I believed we had a gaggle that was actually motivated the final 48 hours,” Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman stated. “And as we received nearer and nearer to tip-off, there was no exterior motivation wanted.”
After 20 minutes, LSU was 3-for-25 from the ground.
“It is the dialog nobody needs to listen to, however I do agree. Within the first half, we simply could not end on the rim and the turnovers killed us,” LSU coach Matt McMahon stated. “We have now a reasonably easy components that will give us an opportunity. You noticed that some within the second half. We have been capable of execute and end some performs, not have the loopy turnovers that led to transition.”
However then the inexperience kicked in once more.
Arkansas went lengthy stretches with no factors. The depth was gone on each ends of the ground.
It was as if the Razorbacks got here out considering the sport had already been gained.
The Arkansas apathy took the strain off LSU and allowed the Tigers to settle in for a stretch for the primary time all recreation.
“If you flip it over 10 occasions and miss 22 of your 25 photographs in opposition to an elite transition offensive workforce, you might be in huge hassle,” McMahon stated. “Second half, we have been capable of end a couple of performs, make a couple of photographs and set our protection and have been fairly efficient there in our half court docket protection.”
Because of this, LSU chipped away on the huge lead because the Tigers minimize it to 11 with a 15-2 run within the first 5 minutes of the second half. Immediately, there was vitality on the LSU bench and backsides throughout the state pinched up the material of their couches as Arkansas followers tightened up for what was certainly going to be a white-knuckle run to the end.
Solely as soon as this season, a blowout of UNC Ashville, has Arkansas skilled an enormous lead on the half. The remainder of the season, together with video games in opposition to mid-majors in non-conference play, the Razorbacks both trailed or discovered themselves in shut video games on the break.
Arkansas performed the primary 10 minutes of the second half with a single subject purpose. A Davonte Davis drive for a lay-up on the midway level snapped Arkansas out of it because the Hogs tried to finish the LSU run.
Nevertheless, a quick break dunk by Trae Hannibal with 9:21 left to play minimize it to 46-35.
Eric Musselman’s workforce responded with high quality protection as they bled the Tigers dry and finally did not even want protection as LSU grew to become so flustered that shooters started lacking vast open photographs.
For individuals who bear in mind the sport in Baton Rouge, this recreation was an virtually equivalent inverse of the Hogs’ 60-57 loss.
In Baton Rouge, Arkansas scored 38 within the second half. In Fayetteville the 38 got here within the first half.
In Baton Rouge, the Razorbacks put up 19 factors within the first half. In Fayetteville, the Hogs managed 22 within the second half.
The distinction was the psychological taxation of falling behind throughout the first half for LSU. The Arkansas protection is clearly higher and it has been a powerful emphasis for Musselman as he tries to mildew this workforce into one that may now exit and deal with the trials of the highway.
“A few these highway video games we’d like to replay them once more now simply because we’re gaining a little bit little bit of rhythm possibly,” Musselman stated. “We’re a extra assured. I don’t suppose our youthful guys and a few of our newer guys actually knew what to anticipate within the SEC on the highway.”
Nevertheless, the subsequent step within the evolution of this Razorback workforce must be creating a killer intuition. There cannot be complacency popping out of the half or a sense that the sport is over.
The sport is not over till Musselman begins making substitutions.
If Arkansas can discover the will to place the proverbial foot on opponents’ throats and in addition discover a solution to duplicate the offensive output proven within the first half Tuesday evening in each halves in some unspecified time in the future, these Razorbacks will probably be lethal.
Arkansas has held groups within the 60s or much less in 4 of its eight SEC video games. A visit Saturday to Waco to face No. 17 Baylor will show how elite the Razorback protection has grow to be.
If Arkansas can maintain the Bears within the 60s additionally, the ultimate piece of the puzzle will probably be 35-point halves and a willingness to slam the door shut early and sometimes.
From there, the sky is the restrict.
HOGS FEED:
RAZORBACKS FINALLY ABSORBING DEFENSIVE LESSON MUSSELMAN HAS BEEN TEACHING
HOGS TEAM WAS ONCE SO GREAT THE COACH SCHEDULED A 3-GAME SERIES WITH THAT GENERATION’S VERSION OF THE 90S BULLS WITH JORDAN, PIPPEN
IF NICK SMITH COMES BACK, HE MAY NOT BE A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR FOR RAZORBACKS
WHICH TEAM THAT STARTED LEAGUE PLAY 11-1 ENDS WITH NCAA BERTH?
SCOUTING REPORT SAYS RAZORBACKS HAVE GOTTEN BETTER, BUT WHAT ABOUT LSU AHEAD OF TUESDAY NIGHT?
NEWEST ITERATION OF HOGS’ BASEBALL EXPECTED TO BE LED BY PITCHING
LET’S NOT OVERLOOK ANTHONY BLACK, WHO IS LEADING THIS RAZORBACK TEAM RIGHT NOW
WALSH, DAVIS FINDING CONFIDENCE, DEFINING ROLES KEY TO HOGS’ WIN OVER OLE MISS
BREAKING DOWN ALL 33 FOULS CALLED AGAINST ARKANSAS AT MISSOURI
DAN ENOS HIRED FOR REASONS OTHER THAN PLAY CALLING
WHAT MIKE NEIGHBORS LEARNED IN CLOSE LOSS AT LSU HE WILL PROBABLY WANT TO USE WITH HOGS
SEC ADMITS THEY MESSED UP REVIEW, BUT NOTHING ELSE AND NO MENTION OF CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE HOGS
HOGS STILL CAN’T FIGURE OUT HOW TO CLOSE OUT A WIN, FALLING TO MISSOURI
A COUPLE OF POSSIBILITIES FOR RAZORBACKS’ OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR OPENING
BRILES REPORTEDLY HEADED TO TCU, BUT WHO MIGHT FOLLOW?
MUSSELMAN SAYS LARGE SEC CROWDS POSSIBLY THE ISSUE WITH HOGS
WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR RAZORBACKS TO HAVE AN ARGUMENT TO REACH NCAA TOURNAMENT THIS YEAR?
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