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FAYETTEVILLE — For a brief moment Saturday afternoon, Arkansas captured the 1990s magic of Bud Walton Arena.
Kentucky coach John Calipari was ejected following a double-technical and Mason Jones made three free throws to give the Razorbacks their first lead since early in the first half. Ultimately, though, they ran out of gas and the No. 10 Wildcats rode a 15-0 run to pull out a 73-66 win.
Jones finished with 19 points before fouling out with about three and a half minutes remaining. The loss drops Arkansas to 14-3 overall and 3-2 in SEC play.
Although Kentucky controlled most of the first half, the Razorbacks did give the sellout crowd something to cheer about early on.
Adrio Bailey knocked down a three-pointer and then Isaiah Joe made two on back-to-back possessions, giving Arkansas an 11-7 lead.
The Wildcats responded with an 8-1 run to regain the lead and then - with turnovers preventing Arkansas from getting into an offensive flow - stretch it to a nine-point game with 5:26 left in the half.
It took a three-pointer by Jalen Harris - just his eighth of the season - to help the Razorbacks get back into it and then Jones finally made one himself. Much like in the Ole Miss game a week earlier, they could have turned it into a five-point play because Bailey was fouled under the basket.
However, with the chance to make it a one-possession game, Bailey missed the front end of the 1 and 1 - part of a 3 for 8 performance at the charity stripe by Arkansas in the first half. Instead, Kentucky scored the final five points to take a 36-27 lead into halftime.
Coming off a game in which he scored only 1 point and was passive when it came to shooting the ball, Jones carried the Razorbacks in the first half by scoring a team-high 10 points on 4 of 8 shooting.
Jimmy Whitt Jr., on the other hand, followed up his 30-point performance against Vanderbilt by missing all four of his shots before halftime. His cold start continued in the second half, as he couldn’t get a mid-range jumper to fall on Arkansas’ first possession.
Kentucky grabbed the rebound - an area it dominated all game, 47-29 - and Nick Richards scored to put it up by double digits for the first time.
The Razorbacks - despite playing a stretch in which they made just 3 of 18 shots - managed to keep it within striking distance with great defense.
Finally, at the 11:41 mark, Jones made a fast break layup and converted a three-point play to wake up the crowd and pull Arkansas within 42-37. On the next possession, Harris made another three-pointer to make it a one-possession game.
An offensive foul on Jones and a pair of missed free throws by Bailey were costly, but Reggie Chaney came up with an offensive board after the second free throw and got the put back to keep the Razorbacks within two.
This time they completely dug out of the hole, as Joe blocked a fast break layup by Kentucky and Whitt got fouled on the other end. He made both free throws to tie the game at 44-44, the first time they hadn’t trailed in nearly 26 minutes of action.
That’s when things got crazy.
EJ Montgomery turned the ball over when he was called for an offensive foul and Calipari lost his mind. It appeared he was going after Arkansas coach Eric Musselman and eventually had to be escorted off the court after receiving a double technical.
Jones made three of the four ensuing free throws to give Arkansas a 47-44 lead as Bud Walton Arena shook from the crowd. He had a chance to really bring the house down with an open look on a corner three-pointer, but it didn’t fall.
The Wildcats got a bucket by Ashton Hagans, but Whitt responded by finally knocking down a mid-range jumper to keep it a three-point game.
The Razorbacks had another chance to stretch their lead, but Joe air-balled a three from the corner. Jones also had an open look that would have tied it up again, but missed and that’s when things spiraled.
When Joe made a layup to finally end the nearly five-minute scoring drought, the Wildcats had gone on a 15-0 run and led by double figures.
A quick spurt by the Razorbacks cut the deficit to five in the final minute, but that was as close as they’d get.
Even with his slow start, Whitt finished with 14 points - thanks to an 8 of 8 showing at the free throw line - and Joe scored 13.
Kentucky had five players in double figures, led by Richards’ 17 points and Immanuel Quickley’s double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
If it will bounce back in its next game, Arkansas will have to do it on the road, as it travels to Mississippi State on Wednesday. Tip off is scheduled for 6 p.m. on the SEC Network.