COLLEGE STATION, Texas — With the game tied at 50-50, No. 8/9 Texas A&M went on a 9-0 run and held on for a 69-61 win over Arkansas at Reed Arena.
With the game tied, Wade Taylor IV hit a 3-pointer, Anderson Garcia made two baskets and Henry Coleman capped the run with a layup off a Razorback turnover with 5:08 to play.
Arkansas stayed close but could not make a push despite a pair of 3-pointers by Zvonimir Ivisic down the stretch.
The Razorbacks held Texas A&M in check on the boards and blocked eight shots, including four by Ivisic. However, Arkansas committed 17 turnovers, its second-most of the season as the Aggies outscored the Hogs, 22-7, on points off turnovers.
Arkansas led 10-9 with 12:30 left in the first half and things went the other way after that. At times it was frustrating for Calipari. He took it out on the table at one point when A&M took a seven-point lead early in the second half.
After the Aggies put together their second lead by those seven points in the first two minutes, the Hogs responded and managed to cut things back closer. Karter Knox’s three-pointer with 11:29 left in the game to tie the game at 48-48.
That was the high-water mark for the Razorbacks, who could never get in front. The only tie after that was at 50-50 on Billy Richmond II’s layup. It was all A&M.
The Aggies got the lead to 10 on a couple of occasions and Arkansas would cut back by a couple of baskets, but simply couldn’t get close enough to really case much concern. At times it appeared the Hogs were just trying to avoid getting completely blown out.
Or were desperately throwing up prayers to have any kind of miracle happen, get some momentum to put things away. A&M, one of the top defensive teams in the country, probably wasn’t going to let that happen.
When the Hogs win they don’t turn the ball over and the Aggies forced them into 17 while just committing 10. Arkansas was forcing things offensively, then turning it over or making a bad decision on the shot selection.
Knox led the Razorbacks with 17 points, Ivisic had 13 and Adou Thiero a quiet 10 points.
A&M, now 20-5 overall, improved to 9-3 in conference play while the Hogs dropped to 15-10 (4-8 in SEC).
The Hogs will go on the road to Auburn on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. (another late night) on ESPN.
