Arkansas turns it on in second half, takes down UTSA

Field Level Media|published: Sat 7th December, 16:27 2024

Dec 3, 2024; Coral Gables, Florida, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari looks on after the game against the Miami Hurricanes at Watsco Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Adou Thiero totaled 26 points and 10 rebounds as Arkansas came alive after halftime and rallied to a 75-60 win over UTSA on Saturday afternoon in Fayetteville, Ark.

Thiero went 8 of 10 from the field and 10 of 13 at the line to match his season-high in points set against Illinois. He added three assists and a block.

The Razorbacks (7-2) got 13 points and three assists from FAU transfer Johnell Davis, who hit 3-of-5 shots from long range.

Arkansas shot 52.8 percent overall to improve to 7-0 against the American Athletic Conference school.

UTSA (3-5) led by five at the half but could not overcome the Razorbacks' relentless pressure early in the second half. Primo Spears tallied 19 and Marcus Millender had 18 for the Roadrunners.

In his first game for UTSA after becoming eligible, Tai'Reon Joseph, who averaged 20.5 points per game last season at Southern, had four points.

The teams started slowly by combining to make 2 of 12 shots in the first three minutes. Then Davis hit a corner three and Thiero made a conventional three-pointer for a 10-6 Arkansas lead at the first TV timeout.

With less than 6 ½ minutes left in the first half, the game was knotted 17-all, primarily due to UTSA taking care of the ball while the Razorbacks had seven turnovers.

Following a Thiero layup, Spears knocked down a trey at 4:55 as the Roadrunners grabbed their first lead at 22-21. A deep shot by Damari Monsanto and layup by Millender at 2:52 put the visitors up by four.

Spears drilled another three, making all of three of his 3-point attempts in the half, and heavy underdog UTSA left the court after 20 minutes with a 32-27 lead despite D.J. Wagner's 3-pointer in the final seconds.

After shooting just 38 percent in the first half, the Razorbacks came out hot on an 8-0 run in the second behind its defensive intensity. UTSA finally netted its first points on a jumper by Spears 3:41 in.

Trevon Brazile's second dunk in less than a minute off an alley-oop pass from Davis helped the Razorbacks move the second-half run to 29-11 and cruise to victory.

Arkansas shot a sizzling 66.7 percent from the field in the second half, compared to 39.3 percent for UTSA.

--Field Level Media