All Hogs

Razorbacks' miscues prove costly in road loss to tough Houston defense

Arkansas battled back from early turnovers, missed free throws but could not overcome Coogs' defense in frustrating nine-point loss
Andy Hodges|
Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari reacts during the first half against the Houston Cougars at Prudential Center.
Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari reacts during the first half against the Houston Cougars at Prudential Center. | John Jones-Imagn Images

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Arkansas RazorbacksHouston Cougars

Arkansas walked into the Prudential Center on Saturday feeling good about a four-game win streak.

The Razorbacks walked out with a reminder that a Top 10 team like Houston has little interest in letting anyone else feel good for very long.

The Cougars smothered Arkansas early, forced turnovers at a pace usually reserved for grade-school press drills, and closed out a 94–85 win that felt both chaotic and inevitable.

The Hogs were shoved into a 21-point hole in the first half thanks to Houston’s defense, which swarmed every dribble and jumped every passing lane.

Still, Arkansas did what Arkansas seems determined to do under John Calipari: keep punching. The Razorbacks chipped the margin down to nine by halftime, making the Cougars at least pretend to sweat.

Any hope of a full comeback, however, met its match in Houston guard Emanuel Sharp, who scored 16 second-half points and managed to answer every push the Hogs attempted.

Whenever Arkansas made a run, Houston calmly replied with one of its own. It was the basketball version of trying to swim upstream while someone keeps turning the current up a notch.

For Arkansas, the issues were clear. Turnovers gave Houston early life. Missed free throws removed any real chance at late drama. And the Hogs’ comeback attempt ran into a wall built out of Cougars defenders who seemed to enjoy making things uncomfortable.

But in a loss full of problems, the Hogs also saw enough positives to avoid sounding alarm bells. At least not yet.

Turnovers sink Arkansas before it can settle in

Houston’s defense behaved like it had been fed caffeine and scouting reports for breakfast.

The Razorbacks coughed up 12 turnovers, nine of them in the first half, and paid for them with 14 Houston points.

That set the tone long before Arkansas could run anything that resembled an offense.

“In that first 10 minutes, we had more turnovers than we average,” Calipari said bluntly later. “And from the last 30 minutes, we had three or whatever. But by that time, you’re down 18.”

Darius Acuff Jr. did everything short of taping the backboards himself, finishing with 27 points on 9-of-15 shooting while adding seven assists and five rebounds.

But like everyone not named Billy Richmond III, Acuff also had at least one turnover. His four giveaways led the team on a day when every early mistake seemed to grow teeth.

The Razorbacks did calm down after the disastrous opening stretch, cutting way back on miscues. Unfortunately for them, Houston already had the kind of lead that lets a top-10 team dictate how the rest of the afternoon goes.

Free throws take away Arkansas’ chance at real comeback

Arkansas entered the game as one of the nation’s top free throw teams. The Hogs left looking like they had spent the week practicing anything but free throws. A 21-for-35 performance at the line hung over the final score like a rain cloud that refused to budge.

Malique Ewin, who scored 20 points, earned trip after trip to the stripe and knocked down 10 of his 17 attempts. His ability to bully his way inside helped Arkansas stay within reach, but his misses at the line undercut their momentum each time the Razorbacks sniffed a rally.

Calipari wasn’t exactly furious, though he didn’t hide his surprise: “He’s a really good free throw shooter, and he missed some but, you know, I’m happy with him.”

Arkansas also failed to capitalize on what should have been a pivotal moment. When Nick Pringle took an elbow to the neck, Calipari managed to convince the referees to assess a flagrant one. Pringle then missed both technical free throws, turning a potential turning point into a shrug.

Razorbacks see fixable problems despite the loss

The final score may sting, but the reasons behind the loss are not the kind that send a coaching staff into panic mode.

The Hogs shot 77.4% from the free throw line entering the game, and dropping to 60% was more anomaly than identity.

Turnovers? Houston is ranked 30th nationally at forcing them, which is its entire personality.

Arkansas won’t face many teams as adept at poking the ball loose. On its schedule, only Texas A&M and Georgia rank higher in turnover creation. That context matters when assessing how much the Razorbacks need to worry.

Calipari’s message afterward focused on improvement over despair.

“We got a good team,” he said. “We got to have guys play better. TB’s got to play better. Karter’s got to play better. Meleek Thomas has got to play better… Even D.J.’s got to play better.”

The one area that does not need repair? Rebounding. The Hogs won the battle on the boards 34–33, grabbed 12 offensive rebounds, and held Houston to only 10—four below its average. That part, at least, looked stable.

Arkansas did enough good things to keep itself competitive, and enough bad things to make the loss feel predictable. The Hogs now get to decide which version they want to take into the next game.

Key takeaways

  • Arkansas’ early turnovers gave Houston a cushion the Hogs could not erase.
  • Missed free throws removed real comeback chances in both halves.
  • The problems Arkansas faced are correctable, and rebounding remained a strength.

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Andy Hodges
ANDY HODGES

Sports columnist, writer, former radio host and television host who has been expressing an opinion on sports in the media for over four decades. He has been at numerous media stops in Arkansas, Texas and Mississippi.

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