Makayla Daniels (17 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals) and Amber Ramirez (14 points) recapping 61-52 loss to Gamecocks.
Williams’ big plays lift Hogs to upset win over LSU
BATON ROUGE, La. — Jaylin Williams recorded his third straight double-double and made two key plays down the stretch to lead Arkansas to a 65-58 win over No. 12 LSU on Saturday afternoon at the Maravich Assembly Center.
Williams tallied 11 points and 13 rebounds (his fourth straight double-digit rebounds game) while tying his career-high with three steals.
The Razorbacks were also led by JD Notae, who had a game-high 19 points with four assists and was +18, the only Razorback in double digits.
LSU took its largest lead, 56-48, with a fastbreak dunk with 9:01 left. Arkansas called a timeout and responded with a 10-0 run to lead by two (58-56) at the 3:31 mark. Davonte Davis and Notae each drained 3-pointers in the run with Notae’s triple capping the spurt.
LSU tied the game on another dunk from Fudge with 2:16 remaining.
Undaunted, Williams sank his fourth 3-pointer of the season (and 11th of his career). On the ensuing possession, Williams took his fourth charge of the game. Then, still up three with 22 seconds left, Notae missed the front end of a 1-and-1.
Stanley Umude was there for the offensive rebound and putback for a five-point cushion. Au’Diese Toney, who finished with 12 pints, then sealed the win with two free throws with 11 ticks on the clock.
Davis, who had his tooth knocked out when he was fouled in the first half on a fastbreak dunk attempt, tied a career-high with eight rebounds. Umude added six rebounds.
Up next, Arkansas will play back-to-back home games, starting Tuesday (Jan. 18) versus South Carolina. Game time is set for 6 pm on the SEC Network.
FIRST HALF: LSU 32, Arkansas: 31
• LSU got off to a 9-2 start to force an early Razorback timeout. Arkansas answered with a 7-2 run to make the score 11-9.
• Arkansas took its first lead, 22=20 lead at 6;59, off two Chris Lykes free throws and led 26-24 at the final media timeout (3:19).
• Arkansas was 0-of-8 from 3-point range but still shot 40.7% from the field.
• Arkansas out-rebounded LSU 20-15 thanks to five boards from Davonte Davis.
• JD Notae led the Hogs with nine first-half points.
• Arkansas committed 10 first-half turnovers and forced LSU into seven.
Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.
Smart on seeing family ahead of getting big win over LSU
Interim coach Keith Smart hadn’t seen family in Baton Rouge for awhile, so it was a homecoming before getting win.
Williams on drawing four charges, hitting big three-pointer in win
Jaylin Williams knocked down a three-pointer he works on in practices and drew four charges in Hogs’ win over Tigers.
HOW TO WATCH-LISTEN: Hogs play LSU here and ESPN Arkansas stations
For the third time in five SEC games, Arkansas will play on the road facing No. 12 LSU on Saturday.
Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN2.
Game notes
• This will be the 73rd meeting between Arkansas and LSU and 66th since the Razorbacks joined the SEC.
The Razorbacks lead the all-time series, 38-34, and is 34-29 versus the Tigers since joining the SEC.
However, LSU leads 19-12 in games played in Baton Rouge, including an 18-11 advantage in SEC match-ups.
• Hogs’ Eric Musselman had successful surgery today to repair torn tendons in his left shoulder and is expected to miss at least two games, starting with the game at LSU.
Assistant coach Keith Smart will serve as interim head coach. Smart joined the Razorback staff this past summer after 22 years coaching professionally, including head coaching stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings in the NBA as well as the Fort Wayne Fury of the CBA.
Smart is a Baton Rouge native, went to McKinley HS and still has his mother and other family members in the area.
• For the first time this season, Arkansas started JD Notae, Au’Diese Toney, Trey Wade, Kamani Johnson and Jaylin Williams in the win over Missouri.
Not only was the Missouri game the first time that group had started … it marked the first time this season those same five had ever been on the floor together at the same time.
• Arkansas ranks 24th in the NCAA (fourth in the SEC) by scoring 80.5 points per game.
• Jaylin Williams has recorded back-to-back double-doubles. By the way, they are his first two career double-doubles as well. Williams has also recorded double-digit rebounds in three straight games.
Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN2.
You can listen to the game with Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman online at HitThatLine.com and on the radio at ESPN Arkansas 99.5 in Fayetteville, 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and central Arkansas, 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home and on satellite radio at XM 190.
Arkansas vs. LSU
Current Records: Arkansas Razorbacks (11-5, 1-3 SEC) vs LSU Tigers (15-1, 3-1 SEC)
Date/Time: Saturday, Jan. 15 at 1 p.m.
Where: Dale Brown Court at Pete Maravich Assembly Center (13,215)
TV/Streaming: ESPN2 (Karl Ravech and Jimmy Dykes) and FuboTV.
Radio: HitThatLine.com, ESPN Arkansas 99.5 in Fayetteville, 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and central Arkansas, 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home, XM 190 (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
Sportsbook Info (via SI Sportsbook)
Spread: Arkansas +7, LSU -7
Total: 146 – Over: (-118), Under: (-110)
Moneyline: Arkansas -110, LSU -118
Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.
Hogs have record-shattering night, but fall just short of Auburn
It was a Friday night like no other as Arkansas hosted a gymnastics meet in Bud Walton Arena for the first time and shattered the program attendance record with 10,345 fans.
The previous record was set at Barnhill Arena on Jan. 17, 2020, which was coach Jordyn Wieber’s home debut with the Razorbacks.
Wieber had set a goal of 10,000 fans for the meet and was extremely pleased with the showing from the Arkansas faithful.
“I knew that 10,000 was a lofty goal, and that’s totally my style. But to exceed it was really amazing,” Wieber said. “I’m just so overwhelmed at the support for our student-athletes and for this program, and from our athletic department for allowing us to have a meet in Bud Walton … not only the crowd, but the energy, the atmosphere. It was so special. Chills just thinking about it.”
The Razorbacks were edged by Auburn by just one-half of a tenth with a final score of 197.250-197.200.
Despite the loss, Arkansas has never scored over 197 in the first two weeks of any season, and it was the sixth-highest team score in program history.
The Gymbacks posted 49-plus on each of the four events and defeated Auburn on bars with a 49.550, which ties the second-best bars score in program history.
Senior Kennedy Hambrick won her second all-around title in as many weeks with a score of 39.525 and also took the title on beam with a 9.950. She finished in second on floor (9.875) and third on bars (9.925). Freshman Leah Smith made her collegiate all-around debut and came in third with a score of 39.175.
Graduate student Maggie O’Hara scored a 9.950 on bars to share the title with Auburn freshman and Tokyo 2020 all-around champion Suni Lee, and senior Amanda Elswick posted a 9.900 on vault for the crown.
Vault
Senior Savannah Pennese made a splash right away as she stuck her Yurchenko full vault for a score of 9.775 to get Arkansas started. Elswick vaulted in the No. 3 spot for the Gymbacks and delivered Arkansas’ first 9.900 of the season and what would be the highest vault mark of the meet. Freshmen Leah Smith and Makie Sedlacek both scored matching 9.800s and the Gymbacks finished the first rotation with a score of 49.050.
Bars
Yet again the lead-off came up big for Arkansas as Jensen Scalzo earned a 9.900 to get the second rotation rolling and stuck her double layout dismount. Hambrick, graduate student Sarah Shaffer and O’Hara made up the second half of the lineup and all stuck their landings for three in a row. O’Hara capped things off with a beautifully-executed routine that garnered a 10 from one judge and helped pushed the Gymbacks to their second-best bars score ever, 49.550.
Beam
Arkansas carried the momentum into the third rotation on beam, in the Gymbacks counted no scores less than 9.750. The lineup was highlighted by Hambrick, who nailed her back handspring-layout-step out series and stuck her gainer full dismount for a 9.950. Senior Bailey Lovett also put up a solid 9.90 routine which included a stick to tie for third on the night. The Gymbacks wrapped up beam with a 49.300 total and held a slight edge over Auburn headed into the final rotation.
Floor
Pennese was up first and blew her previous personal best out of the water with a 9.875 to get Arkansas off on the right foot. Each Gymback after scored at least a 9.800, including Smith in her collegiate floor debut with a 9.850. Hambrick added a 9.875 in the No. 4 spot and Lovett tied her as the anchor in the last routine of the historic night. Arkansas earned a 49.300 on floor to maintain the second-longest active streak of 49+ on floor at 34 meets, which is also a program record.
Next match
Arkansas begins its road slate next week with a dual meet at LSU on Friday, Jan. 21 in Baton Rouge.
The Tigers are currently ranked No. 6 in the country. The meet is set for 8 p.m. and will air live on SEC Network.
Hornsby reportedly back with Hogs … but maybe at WR; White in portal
It was a busy Friday in the transfer portal for Arkansas.
But not a lot of confirmed information.
There were multiple reports Friday that backup quarterback Malik Hornsby had removed his name from the transfer portal but no announcement of a new destination.
That was followed by reports he was returning to the Razorbacks.
Later in the day, people reported he was coming back to the Hogs … to play wide receiver, where he played a couple of snaps in the Outback Bowl against Penn State.
Again, a lot of unconfirmed reports all over the place about everything except he’s no longer in the transfer portal.
Hornsby has only thrown 12 passes in his time as the main backup to starting quarterback KJ Jefferson.
As long as Jefferson remains upright, he will be the starter so the attraction of getting Hornsby’s speed outside is enough of an enticement for coaches to at least be considering that move.
In other news around the wide receivers, walk-on John David White reportedly put his name into the transfer portal.
In two years, he had a couple of receptions.
Torres on Hogs continuing momentum without Musselman on sidelines
Fox Sports Radio’s Aaron Torres on not being able to imagine how Hogs’ practices were with Eric Musselman injured.
Neighbors knows what Razorbacks will be facing against No. 1 South Carolina
Hogs coach Mike Neighbors previews Sunday’s matchup with Gamecocks and needs large, loud crowd at Bud Walton Arena.
Halftime is LIVE. Happy BDay Phil, Hogs at LSU, CBB.MLB and more… 877-377-6963
11:30 -Aaron Torres
Big hoops weekend; Gymbacks host Olympic Gold Winner; Super Wildcard weekend; The Golden Hour; Give Phil birthday punches! Call or text, 877-377-6963
Danyelle Musselman on coach recovering from shoulder surgery
Wife says Eric Musselman ‘in a lot of pain’ after having torn rotator cuff repaired after big win over Missouri.
