In front of a pumped-up crowd at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, the Arkansas Razorbacks (11-5, 0-3 SEC) were defeated, 71-63, by the No. 8 Florida Gators (15-1, 2-1 SEC) on Saturday.
Like a record on repeat, Arkansas started off hot with an 11-2 lead on five field goal makes against the Gators before going cold offensively. Poor defensive rebounding forced the Hogs into a slower, half-court game that played right into Florida's defensive hand.
However, Arkansas matched the defensive intensity and held the Gators to 3-of-16 shooting from three and 11-of-35 shooting from the field in the first 20 minutes.
The second half featured more of the same for Arkansas: solid defense, questionable offense and the inability to get over the hump. Arkansas finished a whopping 2-of-15 on layup attempts, and guard Johnell Davis missed all eight shot attempts in the game.
Forward Adou Theiro led the Razorbacks with 17 points, and he also added three rebounds, a block and a steal.
Below are highlights from the game and reactions from fans and media throughout the Hoop Hogs' non-conference opener:
HIGHLIGHTS
