Arkansas comes up big, beats TCU

Hogs victorious in Big 12-SEC Challenge

From the Arkansas Razorbacks

www.arkansasrazorbacks. com

FAYETTEVILLE – Jimmy Whitt Jr., and Mason Jones each scored 20 points and Desi Sills added 18 off the bench, to lead Arkansas to a 78-67 victory over TCU Saturday afternoon before a sold-out Bud Walton Arena in the annual Big 12/SEC Challenge.

The Razorbacks, playing without injured sophomore guard Isaiah Joe, improves to 15-4 on the season and are now 3-3 in the Challenge with home wins over Texas Tech (2016), Oklahoma State (2028) and TCU (2020).

The Horned Frogs fall to 13-6.

TCU jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead and Razorback head coach Eric Musselman called a timeout. Arkansas responded with an 8-2 run. TCU battled back and grabbed a one-point lead (11-10) with 14:56 remaining in the half. The teams combined to score just seven points over the next three-and-a-half minutes as the teams were tied, 14-14. Whitt got a steal and fastbreak dunk with 11 minutes left to put the Hogs up two (16-14) and Arkansas never relinquished the lead the rest of the game.

“I thought, overall, this was our best game of the year,” Musselman said.

Arkansas led by as many as seven in the first half but took a four-point lead into the locker room (33-29).

Jones, who only scored one point in the first half, opened the second half with a 3-pointer and Whitt had a layup to push the lead to nine. TCU worked its deficit to three twice over the next minute- and-a-half before Reggie Chaney reeled off six straight points for the Razorbacks to regain a 9-point lead (46-37 with 16:09 left).

The Horned Frogs hung around until a technical foul was called on TCU head coach Jamie Dixon.

From that point, the Razorbacks turned a five-point game (51-46 with 10 minutes left) into a 15-point game (63-48 with 7:53 left) and held on for the win. Jones scored 10 of his 20 points at the free throw line, adding five rebounds and four assists. Whitt, who played all 40 minutes for the second time this season, was 8-of-15 from the field and 4-of-4 at the line. Sills only missed one shot, going 7-of-8 from the field and 3-of-3 from 3-point range.

Adrio Bailey led Arkansas with six rebounds while Jalen Harris had season-high six assists.

Arkansas’ starting lineup was Jimmy Whitt (G) – Jalen Harris (G) – Mason Jones (G) – Adrio Bailey (F) – Reggie Chaney (F) for the first time this season. It was the third different starting lineup Arkansas has used this season. Joe missed his first career game after aggravating a knee injury at Mississippi State on Wednesday. Joe initially hurt his knee at Ole Miss.

Kevin Samuel led TCU with 24 points and 18 rebounds.

Game Notes:

• TCU is one of Arkansas’ oldest rivals. The Horned Frogs are one of three teams on the Razorbacks’ schedule in 1923-24 – the program’s first year of basketball.

Arkansas is now 105-38 versus TCU, including a 55-15 mark in Fayetteville.

• Arkansas played in its sixth consecutive Big 12/SEC Challenge.

The Razorbacks are 3-3 in the Big 12/SEC Challenge with wins over Texas Tech (2016), Oklahoma State (2018) and TCU (2020) at home. Arkansas lost at Iowa State (2015), at Oklahoma State (2017) and at Texas Tech (2019).

• Jimmy Whitt played all 40 minutes for the second time this season and he has played at least 44 in Arkansas’ two overtime times.

Whitt played all 40 minutes at LSU to become the first Razorbacks to play all 40 minutes in a regulation game since 2009.

• Reggie Chaney was 3-of-6 from the field He has made 19-of-hislast- 23 shots from the field (82.6%).

Arkansas stays home to host South Carolina on Wednesday, Jan. 29. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. The game will be telecast on SEC Network.