#23/24 Arkansas Battles Past #16/13 Tennessee

Mike Cawood February 19, 2022

FAYETTEVILLE – Jaylin Williams recorded his fourth-straight, double-double – including a career-high 16 rebounds – and the Razorbacks were 6-of-6 at the foul line inside the final minute to lead #23/24 Arkansas to a 58-48 victory over #16/13 Tennessee Saturday afternoon at Bud Walton Arena.

Arkansas wins its 11th game over the last 12 and improves to 21-6 overall and 10-4 in the SEC. Tennessee falls to 19-7 and 10-4 in the SEC as the Razorbacks and Volunteers are tied for third in the league.

The Razorback defense was smothering, holding the Vols to season lows in points (48), field goal percentage (27.1%), 3-point field goal percentage (16.7%) and assists (5). Also, Arkansas forced 15 turnovers, while committing just 10, and out-scoring UT 13-2 in points off turnovers.

In a game that featured 12 lead changes, Arkansas took a 43-41 lead with 8:05 after a Davonte Davis 3-pointer and never surrendered the lead the rest of the game.

Davis’ triple, as well as a second 3-pointer and an assist, was part of an 11-1 Razorback run (including a 7-0 spurt) to lead 51-42 with 5:17 remaining. The Vols got to within five (51-46) after two free throws with 59 seconds left before the Hogs made 7-of-8 inside the final 58 seconds to seal the win.

Williams had 16 rebounds which is the second-best total by a Razorback in a league game and ties for fourth by a Hog in SEC games as three players had 17. He added 13 points. JD Notae also had 13 to tie for the team lead in scoring. Au’Diese Toney grabbed 10 boards, tying his SEC season-high set in the win over Auburn.

Tennessee was led by Zakai Zeigler with 12 points off the bench while Chandler added 11 points. Santiago Vescovi contributed 11 rebounds.

Arkansas hits the road to play at Florida on Tuesday (Feb. 22). Game time is set for 6:00 pm (CT) and the game will be televised on ESPN2.

FIRST HALF: Arkansas: 24 – Tennessee: 23

It was a defensive first half of the first half. Arkansas led 11-10 at 11:11. The Razorbacks were shooting just 29.4% from the field and Tennessee was just 27.3%. Both teams had 10 rebounds and Jaylin William grabbed five of the Hogs’ first 10.
Arkansas was down three 21-18 – its largest deficit – before going on a 6-0 run to lead 24-21. Arkansas held UT to 1-of-10 shooting over the span.
John Fulkerson hit two free throws with 50 seconds left before the break and neither team scored the rest of the way to provide the 24-23halftime score.
Both teams shot below 30% for the half – Arkansas at 25% and Tennessee at 26.9%.
JD Notae led Arkansas with eight points before sitting the final 10 minutes of the half after picking up his second foul.
Jaylin Williams grabbed 10 first-half rebounds as Arkansas won the battle of the boards, 23-22, in the period.
Jaylin Williams drew three charges in the half.

SECOND HALF: Arkansas: 34 – Tennessee: 25

After Arkansas went up nine (51-42) with 5:17 left, there were only two points scored – a Kennedy Chandler layup at 3:36 – until Tennessee’s Zakai Zeigler made two free throws with 59 seconds left.
Chris Lykes drained four free throws, Au’Diese Toney made two and Davonte Davis added one inside the final 58 to get the win.
Five of Arkansas’ seven assists came in the second half.
Arkansas shot 37% from the field in the second half while holding UT to 27.3%.
Tennessee was just 1-of-14 from 3-point range in the second half.

GAME NOTES

Arkansas’ starting lineup was JD Notae – Au’Diese Toney – Stanley Umude – Trey Wade –Jaylin Williams for the 11th straight game.
Arkansas won the opening tip.
JD Notae scored the first points of the game, a 3-pointer at 19:41.
Davonte Davis was the first Razorback sub.
Chris Lykes was 6-of-6 from the free throw line. He was also 4-of-4 inside the final minute as he improves to 40-of-43 at the stripe inside the final 3 minutes (and overtime).
The was the 91st time a ranked Arkansas team had hosted a ranked opponent. The Razorbacks are 44-47 in such games. It was the 21st time a ranked Arkansas team had hosted a ranked team and the Hogs are 16-5 in such games.
Arkansas trails the all-time series with Tennessee 22-23 but the Razorbacks are 12-4 versus the versus the Vols in Fayetteville.
Arkansas has won 11 of its last 12 games. Arkansas has held 10 of the 12 to below 40% from the field, 11 of the 12 below 31% from 3-point range and 7 of 12 below 60 points – holding two to below 50 (vs Mizzou and vs Tennessee).
Since Eric Musselman’s arrival, Arkansas has the most overall wins among SEC teams (66) and the most overall home wins (45).
JD Notae is the only Razorback to score in double figures in every game he has played this season. (He missed the SEC opener at Miss State due to illness.)
Jaylin Williams drew four charges marking the third time this season he has done so (vs Cincinnati and at LSU). He has 41 charges drawn this season, the most by a Razorback since the 2016-17 season when it began to be charted.
Jaylin Williams has eight double-doubles this season, four straight, and all done over the last 13 games. The school record for consecutive double-doubles is nine (by Dean Tolson in 1974) and the next closest is six by Derek Hood (1999). The school record for double-doubles in a season is 18 by Derek Hood (1999).
Jaylin Williams’ 16 rebounds were the most by a Razorback since Steven Hill had 16 at Alabama on Jan. 27, 2007.
Tennessee’s 48 points are the fewest scored by an AP ranked team against Arkansas in the shot clock era (began in 1986-87) and second-fewest with or without a shot clock. (HogStats.com)
Arkansas had previously been 0-5 in the last 40 years against AP-ranked teams when shooting below 31.0% from the field. Shot 30.5% today against #16 Tennessee and won by 10. (HogStats.com)
The following are the worst field goal shooting percentages by an AP-ranked team vs Arkansas over the last 40 years: 25.0% by #5 Alabama, 2/20/2002; 26.8% by #20 Marquette, 3/16/1996; and 27.1% by #16 Tennessee, today.
Arkansas is now 14-0 vs AP-ranked teams in the last 40 years when the opponent shoots 35.0% or worse
Tennessee was just 4-of-24 from 3-point range. The Vols entered the game 45th in the NCAA making 9.0 triples per game.
Arkansas is 414-122 all-time as a ranked team, including a 7-1 mark when #23 and a 190-17 record at home.
Arkansas is 108-156 when playing a ranked team, including 4-7 when playing AP #16 and 55-36 when hosting a ranked team. Ironically, the last time Arkansas faced AP #16 was at Tennessee, a game the Vols won 8-73 on Mar. 3, 2010.
Eric Musselman is 58-16 when his college teams are ranked, including 20-4 at Arkansas. Eric Musselman is 8-9 when playing a ranked team, including a 6-6 mark at Arkansas.

For more information on Arkansas Men’s Basketball, follow @RazorbackMBB on Twitter.