Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Hogs hit worst skid of Anderson era
FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas men’s basketball team bottomed out Saturday night.
The Razorbacks lost their fifth consecutive game, and their sixth at Walton Arena this season, with an 87-80 loss to Texas A&M, which outmuscled the Hogs on both ends of the floor.
The Aggies (12-14, 5-9 SEC), who won the rebounding battle 35-25, snapped a 10game losing streak in Fayetteville, their last five in the old Southwest Conference and their first five as a member of the SEC.
Texas A&M broke away from its 64-62 lead with a game-deciding 11-2 run, sparked by Savion Flagg’s three-pointer after the Razorbacks missed three tries — three-point shots by Isaiah Joe and Mason Jones, and a tip attempt by Jalen Harris — to tie or take the lead with just over five minutes remaining.
Texas A&M clinched the victory with a series of drives to the hole by guards TJ Starks and Wendell Mitchell in the closing minutes as the Razorbacks struggled to get a stop.
Arkansas (14-13, 5-9 SEC) fell into a tie with the Aggies for 11th place in the SEC while hitting a new low in the Mike Anderson era with its first five-game losing streak under the eighth-year head coach.
The Razorbacks have lost five consecutive games for the first time since dropping their last six in 2009-10 in John Pelphrey’s second-tolast season.
The Aggies avenged a 7371 loss to Arkansas on Jan. 5 in College Station, Texas, to split the season series. It marked the fourth split between the old Southwest Conference rivals in the five seasons the teams have played twice as SEC rivals. Texas A&M notched its first victory at Arkansas since a 93-76 decision on March 1, 1986.
After a series of wild scoring fluctuations in the first
half, the teams were never separated by more than five points in the second half until the Aggies’ late run.
Savion Flagg had 22 points and 9 rebounds for the Aggies, who won their third SEC road game. Mitchell fought through foul trouble to score 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Josh Nebo added 14 points, and Starks had 11 for Texas A&M.
The Aggies finished 25 of 34 at the free-throw line.
Daniel Gafford led the Razorbacks with 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting and added 13 rebounds. Joe contributed 20 points on 5-of-12 shooting, and Mason Jones added 11 points off the bench.
The first half was filled with drastic runs and six lead changes.
Arkansas broke on top 5-0 on a Desi Sills’ three-pointer and a Joe jumper.
The Aggies scored the next eight points, including back-to-back three-pointers from Mitchell.
Arkansas bounced right back and put up the next eight thanks to a Gafford threepoint play, a Joe three-pointer and Gabe Osabuohien’s steal and layup for a 13-8 Arkansas lead.
The next significant run came when Arkansas scored six in a row after Texas A&M took a 19-18 lead.
The Razorbacks led 28-23 after a Sills’ layup when Texas A&M launched the most momentous spree of the half. The Aggies went on a 13-0 run over a span of 2:38 in which the Razorbacks were 0 of 4 from the field and committed 3 turnovers.
Texas A&M owned the boards during that span and piled up a 21-11 lead on the glass in the first half.