‘Not falling’
Razorbacks’ shooting woes continue
SEC MEN’S BASKETBALL ARKANSAS (9-6) AT FLORIDA (10-5) WHEN 3 p.m. Central, Saturday WHERE Exactech Arena, Gainesville, Fla. TV ESPN RADIO Razorback Sports Network
A pair of three-point shots taken within 47 seconds of each other helped tell the story of Georgia’s 76-66 victory over the University of Arkansas on Wednesday night at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Ga.
The first three-pointer in the pivotal sequence was missed by Razorbacks senior guard Khalif Battle with 5:26 left in the game and Georgia leading 60-57.
If Battle’s three-pointer had been good, it would have tied the score and been the first time the Bulldogs didn’t have the lead since scoring a basket 58 seconds into the game to go ahead 2-0.
Georgia senior guard Jabri Abdul-Rahim then hit a three-pointer with 4:39 left to push the Bulldogs’ lead to 65-59 and make it a two-possession game.
The Bulldogs were ahead by at least five points the rest of the way.
It was the only basket for Abdul-Rahim, who is Georgia’s leading scorer. He finished 1 of 8 from the field — including 1 of 6 on three-pointers — and scored five points by making his only two free throws.
“Abdul-Rahim’s a really talented player, a great threepoint shooter,” Arkansas Coach Eric Musselman said. “He’s high-volume free-throw attempt player. We kept him off the foul line and held him almost the entire game without a field goal.”
But Abdul-Rahim hit arguably the game’s most important shot with less than five minutes to play.
“That was a big shot for him,” said Arkansas junior guard Tramon Mark, who had 24 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocked shots. “I closed out on him.
“I wasn’t all the way there and he just rose up and that was his one big shot he made and it mattered. That was the one that mattered the most.
“The one that K.B. shot [to try to tie the game], it was a good shot. It just didn’t go in.”
Three-pointers not going in summed up the Razorbacks’ offensive futility.
Arkansas finished 3 of 21 on three-pointers with Jeremiah Davenport 1 of 5, Trevon Brazile and Battle each 1 of 4, Mark 0 of 4 and Davonte Davis and Keyon Menifield each 0 of 2.
“We had some good, clean looks out of timeouts, open threes,” Musselman said on the Razorback Sports Network postgame radio show. “We miss them and they go down and hit a three.”
Georgia (12-3, 2-0 SEC) hit 9 of 27 three-pointers to outscore Arkansas (9-6, 0-2) by 18 points from beyond the arc.
Senior guards Justin Hill and Noah Thomasson combined to score 34 points for the Bulldogs and hit 6 of 13 three-pointers.
Hill scored 19 points off the bench and hit 3 of 7 three-pointers. Thomasson scored 15 points and hit 3 of 6 three-pointers.
Two freshmen guards — Blue Cain and Silas Demary — also hit key three-pointers for Georgia.
Cain hit his only threepoint attempt and Demary was 1 of 3, with his make giving the Bulldogs a 72-64 lead with 1:03 left and essentially clinching their victory.
“We’re obviously not the defensive team we’ve been over the last four years,” Musselman said. “We’re not guarding the ball like we have. We’re certainly not guarding the three-point shot.
“So if your overall team defense is not up to what it’s been in the past, then your offense should be better. I mean, 3 of 21. We had a bunch of defenders in the past that could go 3 of 21.”
Arkansas went 0 of 6 on three-pointers in the final 11:10 after Davenport’s make with 12:23 left pulled the Razorbacks within 46-39.
“Not falling. Not falling,” Mark said when asked about the perimeter shooting struggles. “That’s all I’ve got to say. They’re not falling.
“We got good looks. I shot 0 for 4 from three. My last three [attempt with 2:06 left] was a great look. I think I shot one that was kind of forced, but all the other ones were good looks.
“But the other guys like K.B and T.B. got great looks. Keyon got great looks. I passed to them in transition and we got great looks. Devo got great looks.
“We’ve just got to make them. We weren’t making them tonight.”
The Razorbacks, who play at Florida (10-5, 0-2) on Saturday, are shooting 29.2% on three-pointers (98 of 298) for the season to rank 207th nationally.
“I mean, the opposing teams, their shooters are making shots,” Musselman said on RSN’s postgame radio show. “We have to make open jump shots just like SEC shooters are doing against us.”