Arkansas looked a little rusty to start Monday night, but the Hogs found their rhythm in a hurry.
The Razorbacks beat Toros del Valle 91-49 at the BahaMar Convention Center in Nassau, turning a tight 37-29 halftime score into a lopsided finish.
JJ Andrews led the way with a 15-point 13-rebound double-double. Jordan Smith Jordan Richmond and Davion Thompson also scored in double figures as Arkansas pulled away.
The Hogs opened the second half on a 23-2 run that buried Toros del Valle early. Caleb Ourigou making his first start of the trip joined Jeremiah Wilkinson Andrews Smith Richmond and Thompson in combining for the first 23 points after the break.
“I would just say defense intensity [improved] in the second half,” Thompson said. “Just guarding the ball. Our offense was slow in the first half but obviously we picked it up. We guarded the 3-point line and held them accountable.”
Toros del Valle turned it over eight times in the first eight minutes of the second half. Smith threw down a poster dunk during the run that drew the loudest cheers from traveling Arkansas fans all night.
A slow start turns into separation
The game marked Arkansas’s third of four summer exhibitions in Nassau.
The Razorbacks already beat the Bahamas national team 106-59 on Friday and topped defending Canadian national champion Carleton University 98-58 on Saturday.
Early on there was a clear gap in talent between the two teams and Arkansas jumped ahead 8-0 before the first media timeout. But the Razorbacks cooled off right after and Toros del Valle answered with an 8-2 run to cut it to 16-10.
Maper Maker swung the momentum back with a forced shot-clock violation and a big dunk coming out of the under-12 minute timeout.
Arkansas special assistant to the head coach Bruiser Flint ran the show Monday as head coach. Assistant coaches are taking turns running games this trip while coach John Calipari watched from press row to evaluate players and staff from a distance.
“This tournament is about learning so you’re going to get better at the things each game,” Flint said. “That’s what we talk about.”
Turnovers and toughness define the night
Arkansas struggled taking care of the ball early with nine first-half turnovers five of them by Richmond.
The Razorbacks cleaned it up after halftime and finished with just 12 total.
“It was just sloppy in the first half,” Flint said. “A lot of unforced turnovers…. We just talked about taking care of the ball at halftime. Just take care of the ball better that’s it. We take care of the ball better then we’ll push the lead out.”
Calipari was frustrated at times during the game and did not join the broadcast at halftime according to FloSports color commentator Matt Zimmerman.
Monday’s matchup was the most physical the Hogs have played in Nassau.
Arkansas entered the bonus with 8:13 left in the first half and 15:35 left in the second.
“I think we did pretty good [with the physicality],” Ourigou said. “We have some physical guys too so it’s not that much of a gap. If we’re all physical it really won’t show that the other team is physical.”
Leonardo Salazar kept Toros del Valle close early with 17 points and five 3-pointers before halftime but he didn’t score again.
Arkansas’s defense forced 26 turnovers held the opponent to 31% shooting and racked up 14 steals and 3 blocks while committing just 10 fouls to Toros del Valle’s 26.
Toros del Valle enters the game as the reigning Colombian Apertura champion after beating two-time defending champ Los Paisas de Medellin in a five-game series.
The Razorbacks close out their Nassau trip Tuesday against the University of Calgary at 11 a.m. Central at BahaMar. Calgary qualified for the 2026 U Sports Final 8 and finished as national runner-up in 2025.
Key takeaways:
- JJ Andrews posted a 15-point 13-rebound double-double to lead four Razorbacks in double figures
- Arkansas broke the game open with a 23-2 run to start the second half
- The Hogs wrap up their Nassau trip Tuesday against Calgary at 11 a.m. Central
