MBB Preview: Arkansas vs Lipscomb

December 14, 2023

Who: Arkansas Razorbacks (6-4, 0-0 SEC) vs Lipscomb Bisons (7-5, 0-0 ASUN)
What: The Razorbacks’ annual trip to North Little Rock’s Simmons Bank Arena.
When: Saturday – Dec. 16 – 5:00 pm (CT)
Where: North Little Rock, Ark. • Simmons Bank Arena (18,000)
How (to follow):
– TV/Stream: SEC Network Plus/Watch ESPN (Brett Dolan and Kikko Haydar)
– Radio: Learfield Razorback Sports Network (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
– Sirius/XM: 161 Sirius / 190 XM / 961 SXM App
– Arkansas Live Stats
– Razorback Gameday App

– Arkansas Game Notes
– Lipscomb Game Notes

FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas will have its second straight, neutral-site game with a heavy Razorback influence when facing the Lipscomb Bisons on Saturday (Dec. 16) at a sold-out Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock.

Tipoff is set for 5 pm (CT) and the game will be broadcast on SEC Network Plus.

NOTES:

This will be the third meeting between Arkansas and Lipscomb with the Razorbacks winning the previous two encounters.
The first meeting was 19 years ago — almost to the day — on Dec. 20, 2004, in Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas won, 83-54, thanks to four Hogs in double figures including Jonathon Modica (16), Darian Townes (15), Olu Famutimi (15) and Ronnie Brewer (13). Stats across the board were pretty even except to key areas. Arkansas shot 53.5% from the field compared to 36.4% by the Bisons and Lipscomb committed 21 turnovers with just eight Razorback steals.
The last meeting came in Coach Musselman’s second year on Dec. 5, 2020, in Bud Walton Arena. The Razorbacks won 86-50 as Moses Moody had 18 points (7-of-8 FG) and eight rebounds in just 24 minutes played. Once again, Arkansas had a better shooting percentage — 50% to 25.4% (15-of-59) — and Lipscomb was just 15-of27 (55.6%) at the line. Ahsan Asadullah led the Bisons with just 10 points.
Arkansas is 17-10 all-time in North Little Rock and 13-10 Simmons Bank Arena.
The arena in North Little Rock opened for the 1999-00 season but Arkansas did play in the city four times in the early history of the program, including the sixth game ever on Dec 31, 1923, versus North Little Rock HS.
The Razorbacks have played in NLR in 21 of the last 22 years with a 20-year streak of playing in North Little Rock snapped in Dec. 2020 due to COVID. The only other year Arkansas did not play in NLR was the 2000-01 season.
Arkansas is 79-21 when playing across the river in Little Rock, but has not played there since Dec. 30, 1992.
Despite playing each other just three short years ago, only one player on either roster is still around … Arkansas senior Davonte Davis. Davis, then a freshman, played 15 minutes and was 2-of-2 from the field. In typical Devo fashion, he added three rebounds, an assist and a steal.

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