FAYETTEVILLE – Nick Smith Jr., scored a season-high 26 points, making five 3-pointers, and Ricky Council IV pumped in 21, making three 3-pointers to lead Arkansas to an 97-65 victory over Georgia Tuesday night at Bud Walton Arena.
The team set a program record for the best shooting percentage in an SEC game (63.8%), shot 55.5% from 3-point range (11-of-20) and dished out a season-high 26 assists,
- The 26 assists ties for the fifth-most by the Hogs in an SEC game.
- Overall, Arkansas has 262 passes for the game, the most by any Eric Musselman, college team.
- The 32-point win was the biggest margin of victory by Arkansas in the Georgia series and the ninth-largest margin of victory in an SEC game.
- Arkansas made a season-high 11 3-pointers (20 attempts)
- Arkansas committed a season-low five turnovers. It was just the third time Arkansas had single-digit turnovers this year, committing nine each versus Creighton and Oklahoma.
Black scored 10 points and, for the third time this season, dished out a career-high eight assists. It was the first time this season he did not commit a turnover. Walsh scored nine points and grabbed seven rebounds with two steals. Davis only scored four points (going 2-of-2 from the field) and only grabbed one rebound. However, he was a team-best +30 for the game and he held UGA’s leading scorer Terry Roberts to 2-of-9 shooting and just four points.
Kario Oquendo led Georgia with 20 points. Jabri Abdur-Rahim added 12 points and Justin Hill had 10 points.
Arkansas will play its next two games on the road starting Saturday (Feb. 25) at Alabama. Tipoff is set for 1 pm (CT) and the game will be televised on ESPN2.
FIRST HALF: Arkansas: 43 – Georgia: 23
- Arkansas scored first but Georgia answered with an old-fashion 3-point play to lead 3-2. Arkansas then used a 12-3 run to lead 14-6 and never looked back.
- Arkansas led for 19:23 compared to Georgia leading for 20 seconds.
- Arkansas shot 59.4% (19-of-32) while holding Georgia to just 8-of-22 shooting (36.4%).
- Arkansas had 12 assists on 19 made baskets including seven from Anthony Black.
- Seven of eight Razorbacks that played scored in the first half. Ricky Council IV led the Hogs with 14 points off the bench.
- Kario Oquendo led Georgia with 10 points, making three of his team’s eight field goals.
- Arkansas only had two first half turnovers and forced eight.
- Arkansas shot 69.2% from the field – and 72.7% from 3-point range (8-of-11).
- Nick Smith Jr., scored 18 of his 26 in the second half.
- Jordan Walsh scored all nine of his points in the second half and he grabbed six of his seven rebounds.
- Arkansas had 14 assists on 18 made baskets in the second half.
- Arkansas won the second half by 12 but Davonte Davis and Walsh led the Hogs with a +15.
- After a 1-5 start to SEC play, Arkansas has won seven of its last nine SEC games.
- Arkansas’ starting lineup was Anthony Black – Nick Smith Jr. – Davonte Davis – Jordan Walsh – Makhi Mitchell for the second time.
- Arkansas won the tip.
- Davonte Davis scored the first points, a layup at 19:43.
- Ricky Council IV was the first Razorback sub.
- Arkansas is 13-3 all-time versus the Bulldogs in games played in Fayetteville.
- This was the second time this season Smith and Council each scored 20-plus points in a game. The other time was when Council scored 26 and Smith 21 in the win over Oklahoma, which was the last game the duo played both halves of a game.
- Ricky Council IV is the only Razorback to come off the bench and have at least 22 points, four assists and zero turnovers (HogStats.com).
- The five turnovers tie for the fewest by Arkansas in the Musselman era, the fifth-fewest by an Arkansas team in an SEC game and the fewest since having four in a win over Georgia in 2019.
- Arkansas, the SEC leader in field goal percentage, shot 62.8% - its best in an SEC game. Earlier this season, Arkansas shot a then-program record in an SEC game by making 62.7% of its shots at Kentucky. Arkansas has shot at least 44% from the field in 12 straight games and has shot at least 50% from the field in four of the last eight games.
- This was the third-straight time and fifth time in the last eight games Arkansas has held its opponent below 40% from the field.
- Makhi Mitchell tied a season-high four assists, which is his high in an SEC game. He was second on the team with a +25.
- Arkansas “only” had four blocked shots, snapping a streak of eight-straight games with at least five rejections.
- Lawson Blake scored his first career points, converting an old-fashion 3-point play.