MBB Preview: Arkansas vs UCA in North Little Rock

Who:  Arkansas Razorbacks (8-2, 0-0 SEC) vs UCA Bears (2-7, 0-0 ASUN)
What: Arkansas is making its 29th trip to North Little Rock and facing UCA for the ninth time, but just the third time since 1947.
When: Saturday – Dec. 14 – 3:00 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 Joe Kleine)
– Radio: Learfield Razorback Sports Network (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
– Sirius/XM: Sirius: 113 / XM: 191 || SXM App Channel 961
– Arkansas Gameday App
– Live Stats

– Arkansas Game Notes  
– UCA Game Notes
– SEC Notes/Stats

FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas is making its annual trip to North Little Rock to face the UCA Bears on Saturday (Dec. 14). Tipoff at Simmons Bank Arena is set for 3 pm and the game will be broadcast on SEC Network Plus.

The series between the two programs dates back to Arkansas’ first season of basketball (1923-24). Also, Arkansas has been playing in North Little Rock since that inaugural season. In fact, Arkansas’ sixth game ever was played in North Little Rock.

Arkansas returns to Bud Walton Arena to host North Carolina A&T next Saturday (Dec. 21). Tipoff is set for 1:30 pm.

NOTES:

• Arkansas and UCA met in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. However, before that, the in-state programs had not met since the 1946-47 season. The Razorbacks are 8-0 all-time versus the Bears, including a 5-0 record in games played in Fayetteville. The series dates back to Arkansas’ first season of basketball. The teams met on back-to-back days during the 1923-24 season (Jan. 11 and 12) in Fayetteville with the Razorbacks winning 62-27 and 34-14, respectively. The programs also met in the 1933-34 season, on back-to-back days in the 1935-36 seasons and the aforementioned 1946-47 season.
• The last time Arkansas and UCA met, then #9/10 Arkansas Razorbacks turned a six-point halftime lead into a 37-point, 97-60 victory over Central Arkansas at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas scored the first 11 points of the period and had a 20-2 run, including an 8-0 run and 12-0 run, to put the game away. UCA was 7-of-10 from 3-point range in the first half but was held to just 2-of-11 in the second half. Jaylin Williams had a career-high 13 rebounds (11 defensive) and four Razorbacks scored in double figures, including a game-high 17 points from Stanley Umude off the bench, 16 points each from Davonte Davis and Au’Diese Toney, and 10 points from JD Notae. Umude added eight rebounds and Toney was 6-of-6 from the field in the second half, scoring 14 of his 16 points in the period.
• Arkansas is 18-10 all-time in North Little Rock and 14-10 Simmons Bank Arena. Last year, Arkansas defeated Lipscomb, 69-66, in Simmons Bank Arena. Arkansas history in the area dates back to the first season of basketball, as the program did play in the city four times in the early years, including the sixth game ever in school history on Dec 31, 1923, versus North Little Rock HS. The arena in North Little Rock opened for the 1999-00 season. The Razorbacks have played in NLR in 22 of the last 23 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 head coach John Calipari is facing UCA for the first time. But, Cal it is no stranger to coaching in North Little Rock’s arena. On Mar. 21 and 23, 2008, as head coach at Memphis, Cal led the Tigers to wins over UT Arlington and Mississippi State in then Alltel Arena en route to a national runner-up finish.
• Arkansas got off to a good start versus Michigan before the Wolverines went on a 24-6 run (with a 12-0 spurt and UM making 11-of-11 field goals at one stretch) to lead by 15 (29-14) with 8:58 left in the first half. Michigan also led by 15 (31-16) with 8:31 left and led by 15 (36-21) with 6:27 left. From that point in the first half, Arkansas out-scored Michigan 57-24 over the next 15:51 to take an 18-point lead (78-60) with 10:15 left in the game. Arkansas out-scored UM 33-11 to start the second half, including a 12-0 spurt to open the period, to take the 18-point lead. Boogie Fland scored 18 points with four assists in the overall run. Arkansas forced 10 UM turnovers in the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half.
• DID YOU KNOW… Zvonimir Ivisic is one of two players in the NCAA who have at least 20 blocked shots and have made at least 20 3-pointers. Ivisic has 20 3’s made and 21 blocked shots and Bryant’s Connor Withers has 29 3’s made and 20 blocked shots.

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