FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas used a strong second half and steady shooting to defeat Auburn 88-75 on Saturday night at Bud Walton Arena.
Darius Acuff Jr. tied his career high with 31 points, leading the way for the Razorbacks in an important SEC contest.
Billy Richmond added a career-best 25 points as the Hogs improved to 19-6 overall and 9-3 in conference play.
Arkansas shot 57% from the field and controlled much of the final 20 minutes after a competitive first half.
Acuff was efficient from the start, finishing 10 of 15 from the floor and hitting 7 of 10 from 3-point range.
The freshman guard has now scored at least 20 points in six straight games, a stretch in which the Razorbacks are 5-1.
Richmond was nearly automatic inside the arc, going 12 of 15 while attacking the basket with confidence.
Auburn kept pace early behind strong scoring from Tahaad Pettiford and KeShawn Murphy.
But Arkansas responded with timely runs that kept the Tigers from seizing momentum.
Second-half surge turns the game
The turning point came shortly after halftime when Acuff buried three consecutive 3-pointers.
That sequence sparked a 19-4 run by the Hogs before the first media timeout of the second half.
The surge pushed Arkansas into a double-digit lead and forced Auburn to play from behind.
Pettiford finished with 29 points on 11-of-18 shooting to lead the Tigers.
Murphy added 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting, giving Auburn a consistent interior presence.
Still, the Razorbacks answered each push with balanced offense and defensive stops.
Auburn was without leading scorer Keyshawn Hall, who missed the game for disciplinary reasons, according to coach Steven Pearl.
Hall entered the night averaging 20.7 points per game.
Even with that absence, the Tigers briefly cut the margin to eight points with 8:25 remaining.
Razorbacks close it out
When Auburn threatened, Richmond stepped forward with five straight points to steady Arkansas.
Moments later, Acuff drilled another 3-pointer to restore a comfortable lead for the Hogs.
The Razorbacks never allowed the margin to dip below eight points down the stretch.
Trevon Brazile contributed 11 points, helping space the floor and support the scoring effort.
Meleek Thomas added eight points and grabbed 10 rebounds to give Arkansas extra possessions.
The Hogs’ ability to share the scoring load proved decisive as they maintained control in the final minutes.
Acuff’s 31-point outing also placed him in select company in program history.
He became just the second player in school history to record at least 500 points and 150 assists in a single season.
Arkansas now turns its attention to a road matchup at Alabama, while Auburn heads to Mississippi State seeking a rebound in SEC play.
