No rally for Hogs in SEC opener
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Arkansas has shown the ability to storm back from big deficits this basketball season.
Saturday was not one of those times.
The Razorbacks fell behind by 22 points in the first half and never recovered as No. 20 Texas A&M cruised to a 92-69 victory at Reed Arena in the SEC opener for both teams.
Arkansas (6-7) had rallied from 14 points down in an 88-85 loss at Wake Forest and charged back from a 23-point deficit to force
overtime in an 85-81 loss at Dayton on Wednesday.
But the Hogs were unable to get back into contention against the Aggies. Arkansas shot 32.3 percent from the floor in the first half and 40 percent (24 of 59) for the game.
Texas A&M shot 49.2 percent, including 11 three-pointers. The Aggies, who led for all but 30 seconds, scored 22 points off turnovers and outscored Arkansas in the lane (38-30) and on fast breaks (19-6).
“We didn’t play with energy,” Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson said. “We’re a team that has to play with energy. We were a half-step behind. And we’ve got to make shots. We didn’t make shots.
“Our defense requires energy in half-court and full court. But if you can’t score, you can’t get into the fullcourt defense. But they did a good job spreading the floor and taking advantage of the mismatch. I thought the toughest matchup for us was Jalen Jones.”
Jones scored a career-high 28 points to lead A&M (11-2). He hit 4 of 6 three-point attempts and converted 6 of 7 free throws.
He opened the game with a three-pointer from the top of the key, which was an omen of things to come.
“Any time you see the ball going in, it gets you going a little bit,” Jones said. “I got that one right off the bat. It felt good. We started off good and finished it off throughout the game.”
Opening SEC play on the road for the fourth consecutive season, the Razorbacks were led by guard Anthlon Bell’s 16 points.
Junior forward Moses Kingsley scored 11 points, the 13th time he has scored 10 or more points. But it was his second-lowest scoring output of the seasons.
Kingsley picked up his second foul with 9:42 left in the first half and the Razorbacks down 18-13, which was a factor in A&M’s early run. The Aggies attacked the glass, routinely drew fouls and converted free throws without having to deal with Kingley’s 6-11 presence.
The Aggies outscored the Hogs 13-2, staking them to a 3115 lead with six minutes left in the half. The margin swelled to 22 a few minutes later.
Texas A&M hit 12 of 13 free-throw attempts in the first half.
Kingsley’s absence also was felt on the offensive end. The Razorbacks hit 10 of 31 shots in the half.
“We had to play almost a perfect game to have a chance,” Anderson said. “Early on, it was back-and-forth and then they had one of those spurts. You look up, and you’re down 20 at halftime. It was an uphill battle. You’ve got to fight, fight, fight.”
The Razorbacks couldn’t fight back.
The Aggies’ Danuel House opened the second half with a dunk, and the Aggies were able to open as much as a 29-point lead. The Hogs would get no closer than 8565.
Manny Watkins and Dusty Hannahs contributed 10 points apiece for Arkansas.