Razorbacks Let Second Half Lead Slip, Go Down to Wire Against Georgia

Hogs forced to fend off second-half comeback, handing Bulldogs fifth-straight loss

Author:
Daniel Shi
Publish date:
Feb 10, 2024 8:56 PM EST

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas picked up its third SEC win of the year and held off a spirited effort from the Georgia Bulldogs, 78-75 behind Keyon Menifield's team-leading 15 points.

We’re moving in the right direction,” coach Eric Musselman said. “[We] still got a lot to clean up, still got to get a lot better, but a happy Saturday.

With the game tied at 72, Makhi Mitchell, one of five Razorbacks in double figures with 14 points, used his size inside to get an easy layup. For this Razorback team, nothing has come easy, the Bulldogs had two good separate looks to either tie or take the lead but failed to convert either.

The Razorbacks saw a double-digit second-half lead disappear. Georgia finally found its range from deep, Justin Hill scored 17 of his 18 points in the second half, including a go-ahead triple from the top of the key with 3:57 left.

Both teams went inside early with 20 of the first 26 points in the game coming from the paint. Musselman featured its 13th different starting lineup in just the 23rd game of the season.

Razorbacks Keyon Menifield brings ball upcourt against Georgia — Arkansas Razorbacks guard Keyon Menifield brings the ball up the floor against the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday At Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark.
Andy Hodges / allHOGS Images

Jalen Graham and Chander Lawson each had a pair of baskets early, Graham led the way in the first half with 10 of his 11 points in the first 20 minutes. Georgia's first seven field goals all came from the paint.

Davonte “Devo” Davis got a nice round of applause from the crowd at hand inside Bud Walton Arena when he checked on for the first time after missing three games away from the program for undisclosed reasons.

“It was good having Devo back,” Tramon Mark said. “Especially because he’s a key on the defensive end, on the offensive end. We looked fundamentally sound tonight. It was good for us.”

The teams were evenly matched, a long wing triple from Davis tied the game at 15. Georgia's offense then went ice cold, as Arkansas capitalized and turned a four-point deficit into a double-digit lead thanks to a 15-1 run capped off by an El Ellis triple. The Bulldogs missed its first 11 shots from beyond the arc.

Georgia regained its offensive form to cut the lead in half, 34-29, making three of its last four shots of the first half, including a layup at the buzzer.

The Razorbacks opened the second half as the more cohesive team making two threes, one from Menifield and another from El Ellis to spur a 10-3 run coming out of the locker room to stretch the lead to 12, 44-32. Arkansas turned 14 Bulldog turnovers into 21 Hog points. However, Arkansas would return the favor with plenty of self-inflicted wounds, stepping on the out-of-bounds line four separate times to allow Georgia back into the game.

Razorbacks Layden Blocker against Georgia — Arkansas Razorbacks guard Layden Blocker against the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark.
Andy Hodges / allHOGS Images

The Bulldogs, struggling from deep all night, hit back-to-back triples as part of an 8-0 run to trim the lead to two. The Razorbacks also missed four consecutive free throws as efforts. A pair of free throws by Justin Hill tied the game at 57 for the first time since 15-15. Both teams had ample opportunity to win the game down the stretch, but for a team that Musselman has lamented a lack of activity on the defensive end, Mark got a key steal with 43 seconds left to put the Razorbacks in charge of the game.

The Razorbacks continue against Tennessee 8 p.m. Feb. 14 inside Bud Walton Arena. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2 and fuboTV.