3-point shooting stays cold as Arkansas basketball falls to Baylor

DALLAS — Arkansas basketball made a few threatening runs, but the Razorbacks could not get over the Baylor hump Saturday night, suffering the first loss of the John Calipari era.

The No. 8 Bears (1-1) never trailed in a 72-67 victory over the No. 16 Razorbacks (1-1). Arkansas erased a nine-point halftime deficit to tie the game early in the second half, but Baylor’s offense had too many answers throughout the remainder of the game.

Adou Thiero led Arkansas with 24 points, while Boogie Fland chipped in 17. The Hogs’ half-court offense couldn’t find a consistent rhythm against the Baylor zone, doing most of its damage on fast breaks and in transition.

Here are three observations from the Hogs’ loss to Baylor.

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Arkansas basketball continues to struggles from 3

The Hogs missed their first 10 attempts from downtown for the second straight game. Boogie Fland ended the drought with 3:21 remaining in the first half, and Arkansas finished the night 5 of 20 after going 4 of 19 against Lipscomb on Wednesday. The Hogs missed a pair of would-be clutch 3-pointers in the final minutes.

Three-point shooting was the biggest question mark for this offense all offseason, and through two games, it could be a thorn in Calipari’s side all season.

Nov 9, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari argues with an official during a break in play against the Baylor Bears during the first half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Defense takes a step back

Baylor’s offense fell off a bit in the second half, but the Bears got plenty of open looks and only committed eight turnovers. They shot 47% from the field.

Arkansas’ on-ball pressure wasn’t very sharp Saturday, giving Baylor too many lanes to the basket for layups or kick-out chances for open 3s. The Bears won…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/3-point-shooting-stays-cold-024131742.html

Author : Ft. Smith Southwest Times Record

Publish date : 2024-11-10 02:41:00

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