FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Khalif Battle scored a game-high 14 points — 12 in the second half — and No. 14 Arkansas cruised to a 92-39 exhibition win over UT-Tyler Friday night at Bud Walton Arena. It also saw the return of Trevon Brazile, who was injured in December last year, but Jalen Graham sat out the game with back spasms from an injury.
The Razorbacks ran out to a 20-4 lead and never looked back. Arkansas also used an 11-0 run early in the second half to put the game away.
Arkansas was 11-of-34 from 3-point range as Joseph Pinion and Jeremiah Davenport each made three and Battle added two. UT Tyler was just 1-of-20 from 3-point range and committed 20 turnovers.
FIRST HALF
• Jeremiah Davenport nearly out-scored the Patriots in the first half. He scored 11 points, making 3-of-5 3-pointers.
• El Ellis added seven points and Devo Davis had six.
• Arkansas held UT Tyler to 0-of-8 shooting from 3-point range.
• The 12 points by UT Tyler were the fewest by an opponent in an exhibition game on record (dating back to 1993).
• Arkansas forced 13 turnovers while committing just two, one being a lane violation on a free throw.
SECOND HALF
• It was a slow start to the second half with Arkansas out-scoring UT Tyler, 3-2, in the first three minutes. Tramon Mark and Joseph Pinion led an 11-0 run. Mark had a 3-pointer and a dunk while Pinion had a pair of 3’s.
• El Ellis had three assists in the second half and finished the game with nine points, four assists, four steals and zero turnovers.
• Battle scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half.
HIGHLIGHTS:
• Arkansas starters were El Ellis, Joseph Pinion, Tramon Mark, Chandler Lawson and Baye Fall.
• Arkansas controlled the tip as UT Tyler knocked the tip out of bounds.
• El Ellis scored the game’s first points on a fastbreak layup.
• Davonte Davis and Makhi Mitchell were the first subs.
• This was the first meeting between Arkansas and UT Tyler.
• Arkansas is 72-10 all-time in exhibition games. The Razorbacks had a streak of 35 consecutive exhibition wins snapped with a 90-60 loss at No. 12 Texas last year. However, Arkansas has won 36 straight exhibition games at home and is 63-9 all-time in home exhibition games.
Arkansas will take another step in its preparation for the 2023-24 season opener on Oct. 28 (Saturday) by playing the second of its two exhibition games. The charity contest will be played vs No. 3/2 Purdue with tip-off set for 3 p.m. at Bud Walton Arena.
