RAZORBACKS
Macon ignites NLR cround in win over Troy
NORTH LITTLE ROCK — Struggling to find a rhythm offensively since a 27-point outburst in a win over Oklahoma on Nov. 23, Arkansas senior guard Daryl Macon was not going to be denied in front of his friends and family.
Averaging just 10.8 points per game since the win over Sooners, the Little Rock Parkview graduate erupted for a game-high 25 points as the Razorbacks rolled to an 88-63 win over Troy Saturday night at Verizon Arena.
Macon connected on 5 of 9 shots from behind the arc, while also stuffing the stat sheet with three rebounds, three steals and a game-high five assists.
“I just wanted to go out there and give it my all, knowing it was my last game (in North Little Rock),” Macon said. “It felt good to finally find my shot again. That’s a big shoutout to my teammates for finding me and giving me good looks.”
Troy rode its outside shot to an early lead in the first half, senior forward Juan Davis Jr. burying consecutive 3-pointers as the Trojans raced to an 8-2 advantage in the first two minutes of the game.
Macon answered back with two quick treys of his own as both teams flashed their scoring prowess from behind the arc. After two 3-pointers from Troy’s Wesley Person and one each by Arkansas guards Jaylen Barford and Anton Beard, the Razorbacks took control for good with a blistering run to close the first half.
Leading 20-19 with 11:04 remaining in the first half, dunks by sophomore guard C.J. Jones and sophomore forward Adrio Bailey highlighted an 18-2 run as the Razorbacks took a commanding 45-25 lead into halftime.
“Our guys brought unbelievable energy,” Arkansas coach Mike Anderson said. “They matched the energy that was in the gym. It seemed like we had a nice rhythm, and it started because of our defense. It was a game of runs, and we know we’re capable of doing that.”
After a hot start, Troy was unable to maintain its offensive momentum late in the first half. Davis Jr. and Person combined for 16 first-half points, but the Trojans shot just 28 percent from the field and 27 percent from behind the 3-point line.
“They were really good defensively,” Troy coach Phil Cunningham said. “They extended their press a little more than we thought they would and were a little more aggressive than we thought they’d be. We had a stretch there where we didn’t handle their press at all, and that’s how they were able to extend that lead.”
Two points from Troy’s Alex Hicks and a 3-pointer by Person trimmed the gap to 40-35 early in the second half, but the Trojans got no closer.
Senior forward Trey Thompson flushed home an alley-oop from Barford, while Bailey scored six points as Arkansas stretched its lead back to 6142 with 10:21 remaining in the game.
“I thought they wore down in the second half,” said Anderson. “The reason those runs came was because of our bench. It wasn’t about them shooting the basketball. I thought their energy, their ball movement and their defense was very good.”
Troy hung around in the second half thanks in large part to its work from the free throw line. Forcing the Razorbacks into early foul trouble, the Trojans converted on 17 of 21 attempts from the line in the second half.
“I’m proud of our guys,” Cunningham said. “We said at halftime, let’s play like it’s zero to zero, and until the last 20 seconds of the game, we played them even there.”
Troy cut the lead to 17 four times in the second half before an alley-oop slam by freshman forward Daniel Gafford pushed it back to 69-49, and the Razorbacks never laid off the gas.
Macon knocked down two consecutive shots from behind the arc before leaving to a standing ovation with 3:21 remaining in the game and Arkansas leading 75-55.
“It was a good environment; I was shocked it was sold out,” said Macon. “I’ve never played in a crowd like this. I love it. I just hope they keep coming out.”
With the game all but over, sophomore walk-on Jonathan Holmes excited the crowd with a 3-pointer, and Bailey put the exclamation point on the win with a transition dunk in the final seconds.
“We’re an athletic team, and I think they’re getting a chance to showcase that,” Anderson said.
One of four Razorbacks in double
figures, Bailey finished with 10 points and six rebounds. Gafford recorded 10 points, six rebounds and a game-high three blocks, while North Little Rock graduate Beard had 11 points, two rebounds and two assists in his last game at Verizon Arena.
Person paced the Trojans with 25 points and four assists. Hicks recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 boards.
Now 8-2 on the season, the Razorbacks return to Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville to face visiting Oral Roberts Tuesday night.